Glue Applicators - What do you REALLY use?

[Archie Hendrick]

As a nascent woodworker I've read a lot about the importance of applying the proper amount of glue in different applications. However, I haven't seen much discussion about the various devices for applying the glue. I see so many products for sale in catalogs that I'm wary of how many are just gimmicks. I'd appreciate hearing from experienced folks about what you really use to apply and spread glue: Special brushes? Disposable brushes? Rollers? Commercial bottle kits with mutiple tips? Pieces of bandsaw blades (like a serrated trowel)? Fingers?

So, what do you use to apply glue for:

Glueing edges of boards for panel glue-ups?

Glueing faces to laminate boards?

Mortise and tenon joints? Dovetails?

Etc...

Thanks for any recommendations.

Archie

[Myk Rian]

I blop it out of the bottle and spread it with a small acid brush.

[Jim McFarland]

I blop it out of the bottle and spread it with a small acid brush.

+1

But I use one of these when I have a really large area to cover:

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/PGB-...Glue-Dispenser

[doug faist]

Acid brushes in places I can't reach and good old fingers when I can.

Doug

[Billy Trinh]

thin wood scrapes

[Ken Whitney]

Silicone kitchen spatulas, from the dollar store.

Ken

[Brian W Evans]

+1

But I use one of these when I have a really large area to cover:

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/PGB-...Glue-Dispenser

Jim,

I got one of those for Christmas and haven't used it yet. How do you clean it?

[Philip Johnson]

I picked up one of these bottles with a roller at Rockler for 10 bucks between that and a finger seems to get the nob done. Once the glue dries you can squeez the roller enough to break the glue and peel it off.

Phil

[Mike Henderson]

You mean there's something other than fingers?

Mike

[Dave Lehnert]

I ordered some from Lee Valley and they work very well and reusable. A pack last a long time.

[Ron Kellison]

For standard woodworking, I tend to use flux brushes for edges and joints, and cheap bristle brushes for larger surfaces. Both get washed in hot soapy water until the glue is gone. For epoxy I tend to use either the wide toothpicks used in club sandwiches for small stuff and the flexible plastic ones sold by Lee Valley for larger jobs. When dry the epoxy just pops off the plastic ones.

I've also been known to use my finger when gluing edges!

Regards,

Ron

[glenn bradley]

Gluing edges of boards for panel glue-ups?

- Glue-bot.

Gluing faces to laminate boards?

- Silicone pasta roller.

25215_500.jpg

Mortise and tenon joints? Dovetails?

- Glue-bot and small spreader like a Popsicle stick sized scrap or one of these:

99k5010s2.jpg

On the plastic spreaders; I have used the same one for over a year. The others are in a drawer. Great for mortise walls but not much else and a stick will do as well ;-)

[Josh Bowman]

thin card board
When glue gets tacky, after the clamp up use an old scraper to scrap the globs of glue off.

[Fred Voorhees]

I blop it out of the bottle and spread it with a small acid brush.

same here. Pretty much how I do it. I do have a roller type applicator and occasionally use it to edge glue, but generally, it's the acid brush technique and nothing else. Works for me.

[Paul Steiner]

90% of the time i use my finger. Recently I have been using a 1" chip brush along with a maxwell house plastic coffee can. The type of can that is blow molded plastic with the handle built into the can. I fill the can with water and put a sponge in the large portion to clean up excess. The hole on the inside of the can formed by the handle is a perfect fit for a 1" chip brush, the water keeps the brush from hardening. Works great for application and clean up.