We get many e-mails every day and from time to time our answers bear repeating for everyone to read. A gentleman recently asked us:
“I was wondering if stripper neutralizes glue and if not what does? What is the best way to remove excess glue and what is the best way to break a glued joint?”
Normally when stripper is applied properly, it doesn’t affect the glue – that’s by design – it would be a shame to have to re-glue a piece anytime that it’s stripped. If you let a piece sit in a large vat of stripper – sometimes called “dip stripping” – the chemicals in the stripper will crystallize the glue in the joints and weaken them – that is not a good thing.
To remove excess dried glue from a joint – glue that has seeped out of the joint – we’ll use a chisel or scraper to chip it off carefully.
The first step in taking apart a glued joint is to inspect the area carefully – look for signs of pin nails or staples – they were commonly put in as stop gaps or easy fixes in the past – or to keep joints tight in lieu of using enough glue during assembly. If you find any pin nails or other metal, you’ll have to dig them out with a pair of snips or metal wire clippers.
- A dead blow hammer courtesy of Wikipedia
We take a glued joint apart carefully using a “dead blow” hammer – a plastic mallet with a hollow head filled with ball bearings. We’ll often use a shop rag to put in between the piece and the mallet so we don’t mar the finish if we need to hit it somewhere visible. It doesn’t take much force to knock the joint loose after multiple “nudges” with the mallet.
To remove any dried glue from from both ends of the joint with rough sand paper or light use of a chisel – be careful not to change the shape of the joint too much.
Once it’s clear of the old dried glue and each end look clean, dry fit the joint together to make sure it’s still tight enough to do the job – you can shim the joint with thin veneer if you need to at this point. We usually get the clamps ready and staged at this point as well – picking the correct size of clamps and placement is important to getting the piece clamped up quickly and properly.
Then apply standard yellow wood glue – not “Gorilla Glue”, epoxy or white glue – liberally to the joint on both ends and put the joint back together, clamp and tighten the clamps – make sure to use some scrap shims to protect the piece if the clamps will be pressing on any finished or delicate areas. Wait five minutes or so to let all the excess glue seep out and then use a wet rag to clean that glue off the piece.
Let the furniture sit clamped for 2-4 hours and then it can rest for another 24 hours to dry completely. The piece should be as good as new. Make sure to keep checking back on the joint as the glue cures to wipe any new seepage away.
Feel free to let us know if you have any specific questions regarding DIY projects.
