1. When gluing up a project it’s inevitable that some of the glue will squeeze out of the joint. It’s best to wait for the glue to “gel up” before scraping it off with a sharp chisel or razor blade. Wiping up the glue before it gels can spread it over the surface of the wood and cause you a lot of sanding later.
2. Yellow and White glues have a shelf life of about 8-12 months after which they should be thrown away. Freezing also damages the bonding power of these glues. If the glue is excessively stringy this can also be a sign that it has passed its useful life. Glue is too inexpensive to risk building furniture with bad joints.
3. When spreading glue out across a wood joint don’t use your fingers! This introduces dirt and oil that may weaken the joint. A better solution is to use an old paintbrush or a small section of a hacksaw blade. Scraps of wood also serve as an inexpensive spreader.
4. Have you ever had trouble driving a dowel into its hole? Quite often air and glue inside the hole can prevent the dowel from sliding in easily. To prevent this resistance you can cut a slit into the side of the dowel. This will give the air and glue a channel to escape the hole. Use your bandsaw to cut the groove in the dowel. For safety, be sure to use a clamp to hold the dowel when you cut the groove.
There are more Woodworking Tips and Tidbits located here.
Back to the shop…