This Woodworking Tips Card is about gluing wood. Wood to wood joints are the majority of what you are going to be working with as a new woodworker. It’s important to get them right, and that’s how you make them strong and long lasting. Here’s how.
A Little Wood Glue Goes a Long Way
You have probably heard it a hundred times already, but less is more when it comes to wood glue. This is one of the best woodworking tips around. You do not need to hose your project with glue to make a good joint.
The really important thing about gluing is to have an even layer of glue between the pieces. This means that there is no bare wood at all. If you open your joint while the glue is still wet, you should never see an area that is bare.
Gluing wood is more about coverage than anything else. In fact, a super thin layer with full coverage will be stronger than a thick layer with spotty coverage.
Apply some glue from the bottle, and then spread it into a thin layer with a tool or a finger. You should be able to see through the layer, but it should not be overly sticky. If you can’t see through the glue, there is too much on there. Wipe your finger across it and wipe the excess on a rag. Spread the layer again and see if you made an improvement.
Getting Good Coverage On Your Glue Ups
Next, do the same thing on the other piece that is going to be glued to the first one. Apply a nice thin layer that you can see wood color through. Once both mating faces have a thin layer, bring them together for gluing. Since you have full coverage on both faces, you are sure to have a nice strong joint.
Don’t worry if glue squeezes out while clamping. This is normal. If a huge amount squeezes out, and you are not clamping the pieces with a million pounds of pressure, then you can apply less glue next time. Wipe up the wood glue that drips out with a wet rag too, because it will be much easier to clean before it dries.
For more woodworking tips, my 50 Woodworking Tips is a Free PDF download that you can save to your computer. It’s filled with lots of ideas just like this one.
If you have any questions on Woodworking Tips Cards – Gluing Wood, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer them. Also, please joint the community and stay up to date on what’s happening at Westfarthing Woodworks. Happy building.
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