How to Properly Glue Wood
| [template]_how.to.properly.glue.wood.2021.docx |
You will need a blank piece of paper to draw and complete #11 and #12 on the worksheet.
In this picture the jointed boards are lying on a table with the face that was against the fence down on both boards. You can see that because of the angled edge the joint won’t close unless I rock one of the boards up off the table. That’s fine if you’re making a barrel, but no good for panels.
These are the same two boards, with one board flipped over. Now the angled edges produced by the jointer complement each other, allowing the glue up to be flat.
Water Finds Hidden Glue
Once squeezed-out glue has been removed, there’s still a chance that some is hiding. And if you don’t find it now, you’ll see it later when you apply stain or finish. Spray some warm water near glue joints to make hidden glue more visible. The water will also soften the dried glue, making it easier to scrape off.
Glue + Sawdust = Wood Filler
When you need wood filler that matches the color of your project, mix some fine sawdust and glue together until it forms a paste, which you can use to fill small gaps and cracks. For best results, use sawdust from the same species of wood as your project; you can get some from the bag on your electric sander. Just don’t try this trick for large gaps or patches—they’ll stick out like a sore thumb.
Use small pieces of scrap lumber as a pad so the bar clamps will not dent your project, especially if you are using softwood.
Gluing Perpendicular (90 degree) Angles- Use clamping triangles (shown below) to ensure your pieces glue at a right angle.
How to make a Segmented Lamp
Steps to make a Laminated Turning Blank for a Lamp