Index finger
Acid brush
Silicone Spreader (ie Rockler)
Other - you tell us
[OP]
Contributor
Gluing up some panels today and wiping the excess on my old blue jeans (I always wear my oldest blue jeans in the shop) got me wondering how many of you might be like me and just using the old index finger for glue spreading (not polyurethane, just good old wood glue). I have no idea what you would use for hide glue, by the way, but feel free to let us know if you use something other than listed.
Contributor
I always use my finger on panels. It's much faster and easier than anything else I have tried. I use acid brushes on some joinery and an ink roller for really large glue areas.
Besides, sometimes it's fun just to peel the old glue off of your fingers.
Contributor
Pinky. Leaves all my other fingers free not to make a mess.
Guest
I choose finger, because that's what I use for edges. I like the fake credit cards and the laminate samples for wider surfaces, though.
Member
Used to use my finger and just recently bought some acid brushes from HF and like that better. Cheap enough, a pkg. of about 20 or so for a couple of bucks and I use a brush over and over.
Contributor
I use one of these. Good even distribution of glue and uniform coverage. Less wasted glue. Clean up with a drag across a piece of cardboard or water.
MTT-E54D_1.jpg
Tony
"Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.”
Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805)
"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking."
Henry Ford
Member
Like a fool, I toyed with what has worked for me for years/decades, namely trying something other than an acid brush. I bought a silicone spreader and they ain't worth a chit. Maybe some like them, maybe it's because I'm so used to acid brushes that I subconsciously did not want to take sufficient time to get used to the silicone brush, but they ain't for me!
If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.
Member
anything that's nearby & handy for really small areas , or last resort my finger
BUT I really just on most surfaces a 1", 2" , 3" chip brushes (larger surface ,larger chip brush) , clean/store it in plastic 'Red' cup with water , i clean it with every different glue surface that way I don't introduce sawdust into the glue
I then wash in soap , hot water & dry the chip brush @ the end of the day , I've had chip brushes last over a year this way the only time they are eventually toast is 'IF' I forget to clean @ end of day .
Last edited by Michael Mahan; 02-23-2014 at 7:17 PM.
Mike >............................................/ Maybe I'm doing this Babysitting Gig to throw off the Authorities \................................................<
[OP]
Contributor
I always think of that too late. LOLOriginally Posted by John Coloccia
Member
How timely, I just spent all weekend doing glue-ups. I use old grocery store 'credit' cards for plain ol' edge joints, acid brushes for mortises [recently], and my finger. It's handy to keep a cup of water and some moist paper towels nearby to wipe off the credit card scraper & my finger. Running a metal scraper after the glue has setup certainly helps with cleanup later.
Last edited by Christopher Clark; 02-23-2014 at 7:46 PM.
Contributor
It really depends on what I'm gluing. Fingers work better than almost anything else on edges but I often use a little rubber ink roller. It keeps the mess off my fingers as well as splinters. I have a bunch of acid brushes and some cheap plastic paint brushes I rarely use either one. My favorite spreader is a scrap of thin wood. No stray bristles to worry about, they can be made to fit the work and they cost nothing. I keep a small pile of thin scraps near the workbench and use them for glue-ups and also for setting plane irons.
-- Dan Rode
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle
Member
When I have to rip just a bit (1/16 to 1/8) off a board I save the thin strip. I just break pieces off those strip and use what is more or less a small piece of veneer as a spreader. That or my fingers.
Woodworking is terrific for keeping in shape, but it's also a deadly serious killing system...
Member
Pat,
Don't ruin those old jeans -- those are the best kind! I have an endless supply of rags in my shop -- they are all the mismatched socks from the dryer. If you are ever in the neighborhood, stop by and I'll give you some. Plenty to go around!
Now, concerning spreading glue:
For tiny little applications, the old finger works fine. For anything more involved, I use the silicone brushes found at Woodcraft and Rockler. I usually toss them in a cup of water at the utility sink and they rinse out in no time. But if the glue does cure, it pulls out pretty easily.
For larger panels, I bought a small silicone roller from Woodcraft. It has grooves, so it does spread the glue out quite well. It was not cheap (around $8 or $9), but has an aluminum handle, so it is stout, and you can leave it soaking overnight if needed.
Last edited by Lee Reep; 02-23-2014 at 7:46 PM.
Contributor
Something I picked up from a Benedetto video. Put a couple of pieces of masking tape on your bench. Wipe your pinky off on that. Keep it off your clothes
Contributor
Toothpicks for tiny jobs. Sillycon (Rockler) spreader for most jobs. When laminating the top for my bench I used a 3" paint roller. I used to use acid brushes with the bristles shortened but like the silicon spreaders better.
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