Whether you’re edge-gluing two boards together, attaching solid wood strips to a raw plywood edge, or gluing joints, a bit of glue squeeze-out is a sign that you’ve applied enough glue to the connection. But when glue penetrates the wood grain next to the seam, it can create finishing problems. It’s much easier to prevent the glue from taking hold, rather than to try to fix the finish after you’ve applied it.
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It’s hard to avoid squeeze-out entirely, so many strategies require removing a tiny bit of the wood adjacent to the glue line. But don’t wipe the glue while it’s fresh and wet—that tends to force it into the wood pores, making the problem worse. Instead, wait until the glue is the consistency of putty; then you can easily slice almost all of it from the surface using a chisel.
To remove any remaining glue, after it’s dried fully, the best tool is a card scraper (or cabinet scraper). A card scraper is a thin, often rectangular, sheet of metal with a sharp edge. Drawing it back along the wood surface cuts cleanly to remove a fine layer of wood. Sandpaper works too, but it can clog pores with a mix of wood and glue dust.
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If you’re using open-grained wood, such as oak, or staining your project, any residual glue will make your finish blotchy. One strategy is to pre-stain the pieces, so the glue doesn’t penetrate raw wood. You can also mask the joint edges with tape, being sure to press the tape down firmly so glue can’t get underneath. A coat of sanding sealer—a clear base coat that improves subsequent finish coats—on the parts ahead of gluing will also keep them clean.
This article was originally published in the May 2023 issue of Cottage Life.
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