Found a workaround for stubborn glue squeeze-out on plywood edges

Last week I was building a set of kitchen cabs for a client in Portland and the glue was oozing everywhere on the prefinished birch. I tried wiping it with a damp rag but it smeared worse. Then I remembered an old trick from a guy at my local hardwood supplier - let it cure for 20 minutes then scrape it off with a plastic putty knife. No scratches at all. Has anyone else had luck with that method or do you use something different?

4 comments

4 Comments

pat_fisher244d ago

Yeah, that "damp rag smearing it worse" thing absolutely kills me. I've ruined a couple of good finishes that way before I learned my lesson. Your 20 minute wait trick is solid. I do the same thing but I usually give it a full 30 minutes just to be safe, especially if the glue is thick. The plastic putty knife is key. Metal ones are just asking for scratches. I also keep a little scrap of plywood nearby to knock the dried glue off the knife between scrapes. It feels like such a stupid simple fix but it saves so much headache.

jamesf411d ago

Pat's plywood scrap trick is genius. @wesley_adams I've got a shirt permanently stained with glue because of that damp rag approach.

wesley_adams4d ago

Fight you on this one. I actually hit it with a damp rag right away and it works fine for me. If you let that stuff dry you're basically sanding it off later and that's way more work than just wiping it clean.

nancy8171d ago

Wait, are people really making that big of a deal over some dried glue on a wood project? I've left plenty of glue to dry overnight and just peeled it off with my fingernail the next day. Maybe @wesley_adams just needs to stop using so much glue in the first place if wiping it with a damp rag is that much of a struggle.