Glue residue

[MickCheese]

Am just finishing a small coffee table and applying finish it find glue staining at some of the joints.

I thought I had been really careful to thoroughly remove all traces but clearly not.

Will wait until tomorrow when the first coat is properly dry then remove it and get at the glue. It's a cherry table so the light staining will only get worse as the wood darkens with time.

I just need some sympathy as I really don't want to strip the finish but just know I have to.

In future will try masking tape to protect the joints from squeeze out. .

Mick

 

[Silas Gull]

I know the feeling. I sometimes have 'misses' when applying pre stain, usually knocked back shellac or poly. When the stain goes on, these areas show up like a sore thumb. And there is no recovering from it.
Commiserations.

 

[Jacob]

The only way to thoroughly clean off glue (modern, PVA etc) is to plane after glueing. So you have to allow for this - frinstance by leaving tenons, DTs etc, over long, so they have to be taken back with a plane. There isn't another way.

 

[MickCheese]

Thanks for the commiserations.

Not sure I can get a plane into the affected areas as they are rails setback from the legs so I think it will have to be a very carefully wielded chisel and a scraper.

I cannot believe it I thought I had captured it all. It shows up through the finish almost white.

A good lesson learned.

Mick

 

[caroleb]

Aaarrghh!
I am finishing an 'Xmas present' for someone, and although I taped the joints where the glue was applied and likely to leak out there has been some staining. Added to this is the fact that the joints have partially failed leaving me with a bit of a dilemma ; do I start the whole thing again or repair it all at this point?
I know the answer, much the same as you do, but it is a real nightmare, isn't it? Problem is the grain runs in the wrong direction to allow me to easily sand the stain out (doesn't it always?), and the table is made from, in part, veneered MDF.

Anyway - take heart; I bet mine is worse than yours! And I should've learnt this lesson YEARS ago!

Caz

 

[deema]

There may be another way to Jacobs suggestion. I have used Tritebond II Fluorescent. You use a cheap black light which causes the residue if present to become visible.

http://www.titebond.com/product.aspx?id ... f245db4dc7

 

[iNewbie]

There may be another way to Jacobs suggestion.

I have used Tritebond II Fluorescent. You use a cheap black light which causes the residue if present to become visible.

http://www.titebond.com/product.aspx?id ... f245db4dc7

There'll always be another way.

 

[custard]

Two other options to consider, neither are quick and convenient but both work. Indeed in my opinion both work better than masking tape and are actually a bit quicker.

1. Treble washing. Wipe away squeeze out then scrub the affected area with a stiff brush (ie toothbrush) and hot water. Then pat dry, get some fresh hot water and repeat. Then repeat for a third and final time. Any attempt at re-using the contaminated water virtually guarantees failure.

2. Before assembly coat the area likely to be affected with a thin coat of Waxilit, after glue up pick off any squeeze out (it comes away easily and cleanly) then wipe the Waxilit residue away with a meths soaked rag. I've never had any subsequent finishing problems from Waxilit residue, in my experience the meths soaked rag removes all traces of Waxilit.

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/Entr ... xilit.html

http://accidentalwoodworker.blogspot.co ... iment.html

 

[John15]

Many thanks for the above info Custard. I'm going to try it.
Cheers,
John

 

[Peter Sefton]

I always clean over the glued up job with a clean damp cloth, I wash over the timber surface but don't like to get the job over wet as this may weaken the glue within the shoulder line. If its an internal corner I will wrap the rag tight around a 300mm SS rule to get into the corners. If it's within a moulding then I use clean paint brush with shortened bristles to get into the details.
Using water may leave you a water tide mark so I will wipe a fresh clean damp cloth over the job to remove this. I always damp jobs within the sanding process this shows up glue stains and raises the grain before re sanding prior to finishing. If it's the outside of a cabinet or door then I would hand plane before sanding.
Do take care if you are using Oak or other high tannin timbers as you could get black staining if your workshop is contaminated with iron fillings.
You can also pre finish inside boxes and cabinets but be sure not to finish over your joints.


Cheers Peter

 

[MickCheese]

All these responses are really useful.

I posted this as a reminder to myself and others that rushing the finish is worse than making errors early on.

I will be more careful in future but some really good ideas from those I know actually know what they are talking about.

It seems there's no alternative to a bit of OCD.

Mick

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I always attempt to part finish the parts before assembly - any glue can then be peeled off.

 

[Grahamshed]

I always attempt to part finish the parts before assembly - any glue can then be peeled off.

That makes sense.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I always attempt to part finish the parts before assembly - any glue can then be peeled off.

That makes sense.

If you can ... do.