Cascamite Clean Up

[xy mosian]

Hi All,
I am about to use Cascamite for the first time in a very long time.
My concern is how best to clean excess glue from the joints. Ash is the timber in use and I do not want the glue to fill the grain before staining and finishing. Sealing the wood before assembly would give other problems later.

If you use Cascamite regularly would you post your method of getting around this problem please.

xy

 

[custard]

Hot water and a toothbrush!

Seriously, I find UF glues like Cascamite easier to clean up than PVA. I think when PVA gets watered down it's still "size", so it can sit in the grain and spoil a finish. I suspect with UF glues that once diluted past a certain point they're no longer even an adhesive, which is why you've got to follow the Cascamite mixing instructions to the letter.

In any event, a good hot water scrub, maybe two, and you'll be fine. The problem with Cascamite is if you leave it until it's hard, hoping to pick or peel it off, once set it's like glass and sandpaper won't touch it.

Good luck!

 

[xy mosian]

Custard,

Thank you very much. That is exactly the sort of 'real life' experience I was hoping to learn of.

xy

 

[custard]

You're welcome.

I'm interested in the SU plug in you link to. I'm an SU beginner but I would like to be able to produce a precise curve and print it out full size (I've a roll paper printer), then paste it to a board or an MDF template, and bandsaw/router to the line, is this plug in what I need?

Incidentally, there's a lot of glue up tricks to help out in specific circumstances, for example if your clamps will prohibit access to cleaning squeeze out, or if you're gluing up a jewellery box and won't have access to the inside until after the top's sawn off, then you can apply paste wax outside of the joint surfaces (protect the joint with masking tape while applying the wax) then pick the glue off when it's set and wash the wax away with meths. I use a specific wax for this called Waxilit, but I believe any silicon free wax will do. I've done this many times and have never had a finishing problem as a result, even with things like aniline dye which would stand out like a fish in a tree if any glue remained.

Good luck.

 

[dickm]

Custard's suggestions are the best ones, but i've actually found that the "glass hard" squeeze-out can be a good thing in that it's brittle enough to be chipped off pretty easily if you miss it earlier. Just don't attempt to sand it off - you'll be there for hours!

 

[xy mosian]

Custard,
I had wondered about a waxy barrier, or even some mildly adhesive tape, fortunately I will have access to the 'squeeze out' in this case. I have not come across that wax before but that is another useful nugget for the archive.
My plugin should work for you. Dave Richards, who helped guide the design from a users point of view, kindly did a review/how to use on his Design, Click Build blog. http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/471 ... -templates.
Please have a look through that and get in touch, with me, if you have any questions. My only slight area of concern is that the plugin is designed to work with standard cut paper sizes, but I'm sure there would be a way around that.

Dick,
I have used your suggested clean up method in the past, beware flying glass etc,. I have also cleaned when the glue is at the rubbery stage. Somehow I recall that both leave a trace in the grain, with the possibility of surface damage from a wayward edge. Thanks anyway, I'll give my old tooth brush a work out and see how that goes.

Thanks again both of you,
xy.

 

[custard]

Thanks Xy, but I'm struggling to access the Dave Richards review, I can get to a list of all his FW articles but I can't find the one you mention, is there a publication date or some other piece of information I could use to track it down?

 

[xy mosian]

Sorry Custard,
I blindly copied the page address believing it would work without checking.
Here is the post title "Printing Patterns for Templates - Fine Woodworking".
The post is dated May 2012.

I have been trying to find that post for the past 30 minutes but cannot get anywhere from the page you found. I'll check again tomorrow in case there is a problem somewhere. I even tried to create an account but that didn't get me anywhere either.

xy.

 

[Matt@]

I love using cascamite but hate cleaning it up! When chipping hard glue bits off the timber be careful as the glue takes chunks of wood with it. Not sure I would agree with PVA being worse to clean up. With cascamite nothing cleans it up apart from sanding whereas at least with PVA if you are using the green ResinW you can wet the wood and the glue residue shows up as white, softens and scrapes off etc

 

[xy mosian]

Thanks Xy, but I'm struggling to access the Dave Richards review, I can get to a list of all his FW articles but I can't find the one you mention, is there a publication date or some other piece of information I could use to track it down?

Hi Custard,

I have tried the FineWoodworking site again, host to Design, Click, Build blog. There still seems to be some problem.
You have a pm which may help.

xy

 

[xy mosian]

I love using cascamite but hate cleaning it up! When chipping hard glue bits off the timber be careful as the glue takes chunks of wood with it. Not sure I would agree with PVA being worse to clean up. With cascamite nothing cleans it up apart from sanding whereas at least with PVA if you are using the green ResinW you can wet the wood and the glue residue shows up as white, softens and scrapes off etc

Hi Matt,
The clean up timber removal, and flying shards of glass-like glue are part of what prompted my initial post.
The 'big glue up' happened this morning. Using Custards suggested method I cleaned up.
I have learned several things.
Toothbrush and lots of warm water works.
A close soft bristled toothbrush rapidly clogs.
I put too much glue in my joints, they must have been better than I expected.
Lifting the grain once was not enough, lots more sanding of more awkward places are now needed.

One of the reasons for using Cascamite was the seemingly short working time of PVAs. Green Resin W used to have quite a long working time, is that still the case?

xy

I've just answered my own question. Both versions of Resin W, interior and exterior, seem to have fast drying times. Titebonds 2 and 3 seem to be longer working times, on quick search.

xy

 

[Matt@]

haha... know what you mean about PVA grabbing which is why cascamite is so more usable. Alternatively use PVA first thing in the morning or in the evening when its cool....

 

[xy mosian]

Up here in sunny Yorkshire it's beginning to get coolish all the day.
xy

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I mist the joints with a garden sprayer if I'm using PVA when it's hot. It stops the moisture being drawn out too quickly.

 

[xy mosian]

Nice one Phil!
xy