Glue on Glue off.....tips

Hot water softens glue, then easily removed

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Yellow and white glue is easily removed from anything that tolerates hot water- brushes, glue bottles, clothes, etc. The hot water softens the glue and it is then easily removed.

In the case of brushes I put a small amount of water in a cup and heat to boil in the microwave. Then it is simply a matter of working the brush in the hot water and the glue comes out. In confined spaces like the neck of glue bottles it may need to be poked with some sort of poking device like a tooth pick to tease it away from the surface.

In factories they remove glue from clamps with a steam line.

Re: Glue on Glue off.....tips

Don Evans

I wonder what the cost is for the vinegar verse the acid brush?

You may want to consider the now available silicone glue brushes which also come with a small tray to put the glue in. The trays are made with pout spout to allow returning unused glue to the original bottle. It also comes with a comb spreader also silicone. The silicone allows easy removal of the glue if it goes hard on the brush.

I caught a set at Rockler for $6.00 when I was ordering something else and really like it. It is on sale right now for $9.99.

Don

I fear the silicone glue tools

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I have been impressed at what a infinitesimaly tiny amount of silicone can do to surface properties(fact supported by data). Glue bonding depends on surface properties (fact supported by glue theory). Objects of silicone shed small amounts of low molecular weight silicones (fact supported by data). Bottom line- these tools could affect adhesion and I avoid them (conjecture). It is not a fear supported by quantitative data, but it is not an irrational fear either.

I too rinse glue brushes out with hot water and the plastic cups I use too, even though I get them free at restaurants.

Re: I fear the silicone glue tools

Barry Irby

I too fear silicone in the shop and around finishes. Someone here explained there are two different things, silicon and silicone. One to be feared and the other not so much, and now I don't know which is which. Bill, your knowledge of chemistry is much better than mine, maybe you can explain.

silica containing stuff

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Silicon is an element, symbol Si. (were you asleep in chem class?) Main component of quartz as well as many minerals. In fact there is a mineral classification of silicon containing minerals, the Silicates: garnet, feldspar, aquamarine, tanzanite, talc, mica, asbestos, etc.

Silicone is a synthetic chemical containing silicon, carbon and hydrogen. Siloxane is a silicon containing polymer.

Re: silica containing stuff

Barry Irby

What I am curious is if silicon is part of silicates, what is the silicone lubricant we fear around finishes?

Re: silica containing stuff

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

"what is the silicone lubricant we fear around finishes"

I answered this question but if you want more detail the Internet is the place to ask

silicone

John in NM

Silicone is a family of synthetic hydrocarbon polymers that can take the form of anything from a light oil to a soft rubber. The name comes from the use of the element silicon in the material.

Silicon is a non-metal element that acts a bit like carbon.

Silicates are minerals that contain silica (silicon-oxygen) in various configurations as the anion (-) side of the molecule. The ratio of silicon to oxygen is what determines the class of silicate mineral (there are many different types of silicate mineral). In general, almost all rocks contain silicate minerals, the most notable exception being carbonate rocks - and even those have trace amounts.

Not enough coffee this morning Bill?

Dick Coers

Sounds like some of the mornings I have more frequently now. LOL First you ask Barry about sleeping in chemistry class, now you tell him to use the internet if he wants some clarity. I assume I have a horrible handicap for figuring this out, I didn't take a single chemistry class in high school. I muddled through somehow in the direction of career training, not at all uncommon from 66-70.

Re: Not enough coffee this morning Bill?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

It is hard enough posting jpeg pictures here never mind chemical structures of a silicone from Chem Draw. But why bother when there are such nice ones already up on the Internet. And I had an early date with someone to get our deer stands in order. Season in less than 3 weeks.

I saw two huge bucks Saturday

Dick Coers

Near the middle of Peoria Heights, IL. Our bicycle trail is a converted rail line. I saw a doe cross the trail, and in the field just behind, 2 large bucks. Got within 4' of this doe earlier in the summer munching mulberries on the same trail.

Re: Glue on Glue off.....tips

AZ in Colorado Springs

I use old toothbrushes (the dentist hands 'em out every time I go for a cleaning) and they work really well. For getting into corners or spreading glue on dovetails or box joints, I use an acid type brush from harbor freight.

They clean up easily with water as bill described. I ften let 'em soak overnight. A dab of dishsoap and I can scrub my hands while agitating the soap into the bristles.

For glue pallets, I use caps from various containers-- butter dishes, jars, Hawaiian Punch jugs. I have a couple of boxes of caps. They're great for tracing curves, too. Much easier than using a compass, and the radius usually isn't critical.

Re: silica containing stuff

Derek Arita

ok...whats the salt trick?

Salt trick...

Barry Irby

Spread the glue on your piece, Titebond/whatever, sprinkle on a very slight amount of table salt, maybe ten grains, position the piece exactly where you want it, apply hand pressure, apply clamps. You can hear the salt crunch as the clamps tighten. One thing that impressed me was I used so little salt I had to turn the piece this way and that way in the light to even see the salt, but if you laid the piece down gently and then picked it back up, there was almost no glue on the second piece. When the clamps were applied there was plenty of squeeze out. So even though the glue appeared to be liberally applied, it was less that the thickness of grains of salt. Pretty much eliminated the tendency for the piece to slither around.

Beware of the salt trick

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

The glue will fail in the vicinity of the salt crystals, so they must be few and far between.

This glue is a suspension of gooey polymer balls in water. Dissolved salt will break this suspension and cause it to coagulate which will destroy its gluing ability. Not a problem if the dissolved salt puddle occupies only a small fraction of the surface.

While I don't doubt its efficacy when used in moderation it is possible to learn to not need it.

1.Don't slather on so much glue that there is anything but a hint of squeeze out.

2.Apply modest clamp pressure to just snug the pieces together. Then wait a few seconds for the water to diffuse from glue to wood which rapidly increases the viscosity of the glue layer. Then the clamps can be slowly snugged to bring the joint tightly together and squeeze out the remaining glue.

Following the above procedure will enable edge joints to be brought together with no skidding about. For some applications driving in 2-3 brads and then cutting them off to make locating pins is another option.

Re: Beware of the salt trick

John in NM

What about sugar instead? Will any soluble crystal have the same effect?

good point

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

It is ions that destabilize suspensions. The particles are held apart by the like charges on their surface, like magnets repulsing. Addition of ions shields these charges and lets the particles crash into one another, and coagulation is the result. Sugar is uncharged. Your a genius.

Ding, Ding , Ding...We have a Winner...

Barry Irby

This is one of the things I like about Wood Central! I tried to share what I thought was a useful tip, Bill points out a flaw in my plan, John figures out a better solution.

I was thinking about this and trying to figure out a good source for some sort of non reactive grits, like maybe very fine sand, but I like sugar better. Most of us already have sugar.

I thought about using a pin nailer where you drive a very thin pin and snip the head off close to buy not flush with the surface, apply glue and mate the two pieces, pressing the tips of the pins into the back of the new piece. I have done that and it works well, but I done like leaving concealed metal behind. In a previous project, a design change caused me to cut into the metal and damage a cutter.

The now Sugar Trick takes VERY few grains, may five or ten scattered across the matting surface.

I like Bills suggestions about improving technique but this was a hard one. The pieces were 16 pairs on opposite sides and for the sake of speed, I glued them on two at a time.

It is a sweet solution

John in NM

Gotta love it, an improved technique, and a pun to go with it!

Re: Beware of the salt trick

Don Orr

I tried the sugar trick once and it dissolved so quickly the it did not grab at all. I was taught many years ago to use a few grains of fine sand and it works as long as you don't have to cut into them-edge to edge should be fine.