Gorilla glue clean up

[MARK.B.]

Can someone please tell me what is the best method for cleaning up glue joints/brushes etc when using this glue. I have never used a polyurethane glue before so dont know if the usual damp cloth/sponge will work or just make a bigger mess as its moisture cured.
Thanks
Mark

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Don't use anything that's not throw - away. It's filthy stuff, and not good for anything other than gap filling in structural joints, imo.

 

[=Adam=]

We use this sort of stuff in work every day, our stuff is made by Wurth and I will agree, it is absolutely disgusting stuff, it makes such a mess and if you get it on your clothes then you may aswell throw them away!

The best tip I have for you is to leave the stuff set completely before attempting to clean it off. When it is dry it should come off quite easily with a nice sharp chisel/scraper and then a little bit of light sanding just to clean up the grain.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Don't use anything that's not throw - away. It's filthy stuff, and not good for anything other than gap filling in structural joints, imo.

Not really the case in two respects:
*1. Firstly polyurethane glue is about the only glue that will work effectively with wood that is at 20% MC or greater-- useful if you are doing green woodworking or using air dried wood. Projects made out of this sort of wood usually, but not always, end up in exterior locations. There's reputable research undertaken by the Building Research Establishment's (BRE) technologists (and others) to back this up, eg http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/225831_i ... _phase.pdf - see page 8 of the report. Just about all the other common woodworking glues are formulated to work with "dry" wood, that is, wood that is under 20% MC.
*2. Polyurethane glues do not offer any significant structural strength in gap filling circumstances.

As to handling the glue during an assembly and clean up afterwards, white spirits can be useful, along with latex or vinyl gloves that help keep the glue off your hands. White spirits is quite good at cleaning the goopy stuff off things like fingers and glue brushes, assuming you get at it quickly, but it's admittedly not a pefect solution. Clean up after gluing an assembly is frequently best left until after the glue has dried (as others have mentioned) when it can usually be pared off with a chisel, or scraped off, or even sanded.

I tend to reserve polyurethane glues for wet wood situations and for wood that is going into external structures. Slainte.

 

[promhandicam]

It can also be useful if trying to glue up in cold conditions - PVA glues usually recommend not to be used below 15C whereas some PU can be used at 5C

 

[=Adam=]

We have used the pu glues in the deepest darkest winters (on site) where the temps can be in the minus' and the glue has still done its job! Admittedly it does take a bit longer to set but the bond has always been good.

 

[MARK.B.]

Ok thank you all for your replies. It looks like its a choice of white spirit or a sharp chisel (must have one of those somewhere in amongst the spanners) to remove excess from the wood or probably a bit of both.may just need to buy some cheepo glue brushes .

Mark

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Richard - I was thinking outdoors, but didn't make it clear. My point on gap filling was not that it gives any structural benefit, but that if the gap's full of Pu, it's not full of water.
Phil.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Ok thank you all for your replies. It looks like its a choice of white spirit or a sharp chisel (must have one of those somewhere in amongst the spanners) to remove excess from the wood or probably a bit of both.may just need to buy some cheepo glue brushes. Mark

Generally I think you'll find trying to clean the glue off the wood with white spirits as the glue is still curing and at that foaming sloppy stage unsatisfactory. You are probably best waiting until a full cure and scraping or paring off. Slainte.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

My point on gap filling was not that it gives any structural benefit, but that if the gap's full of Pu, it's not full of water. Phil.

That's likely to be the case I guess, but if there are gaps and water is present due to the work being exposed to the elements, I expect that it will work its way into them eventually. But then the same can be said of a tight fitting joint when the wood around it is exposed to rain or snow and the like-- the water gets in there eventually, but a snug joint will almost certainly hold together better than a gappy joint anyway. Slainte.

 

[MARK.B.]

Generally I think you'll find trying to clean the glue off the wood with white spirits as the glue is still curing and at that foaming sloppy stage unsatisfactory. You are probably best waiting until a full cure and scraping or paring off. Slainte.[/quote]

Yes is see what you mean,going to have to sharpen that chisel