Q & A: Clean Up Squeeze Out

Q & A: Clean Up Squeeze Out

Q:

I saw one of those woodworking
wizards on television the other day. As
I watched the guy build a three-day
project in 30 minutes, I noticed he
washed off glue squeeze out with a
wet cloth immediately after clamping.
Won’t the water weaken the glue
joint?

A:

We went right to the folks who
manufacture Tite-Bond glue to help
us answer your question. Here’s what
we found out:

Don’t try to rub the glue off with a wet
rag. This will probably spread the glue
around, water it down and sometimes
force the diluted glue down into the joint.

It’s better to use a damp 3M Scotch-
Brite pad or synthetic steel wool.Both
pick up the glue without spreading it
around.Keep the pad in a bowl of water
while you glue up your boards. Then,
hold the pad up by a corner so all the
excess water drains out.Wipe the glue
with the damp pad using short, rolling
strokes.Use a clean part of the pad for
each stroke. The rolling motion creates
a scraping action that lifts the glue
off the wood rather than rubbing it in.
Refresh a glue-soaked pad by rinsing it
out in water.

Stick with this method and you’ll
avoid any problems with forcing watery
glue into the joint or the pores of the
surrounding wood.And don’t believe
everything you see on TV!