# Removing squeeze out glue; planer OK?



## sailorman (Aug 9, 2010)

I'm gluing up 1/8" strips of maple/padauk/mahogany for a project. After I remove them from the jig, there's a lot of hardened glue that I need to remove. Since I need to plane them down a bit anyway, I was just going to let that remove the glue too, but not sure if that's going to be good for the blades. Guess I could remove it with a belt sander first, but much more time consuming. Pics don't show the glue, but may give you an idea of what I'm working with.

advice appreciated.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Nothing is "good" for the blades, and I am sure glue probably dulls them faster but it is the way I would do it. I would try to clean off as much as I could while still wet, but I am sure it is too late for that.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Plan on replacing/resharpening the planer blades if you use it to remove hardened glue.
How about a scraper first?
A router and a jig? Probably more time involved than the belt sander. Could use a table mounter router with a fence or a feather board. Take of a little at a time.
Maybe a disk sander and a fence? Curves might be a killer there, though.
Belt Sander might be the best.


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## ryanfire (Nov 22, 2011)

Maybe try a block plane?


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## 3fingers (Dec 7, 2011)

Cheap hand scraper. Takes hard glue right off


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## 3fingers (Dec 7, 2011)

Don't use sand paper of any kind it will dull the blades on ur planer.


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

Don't send it through the planer. Scrape off as much as you can. better to waste an hour or so then mess with your sharp blades on the planer.

Pete


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

Use a cabinet scraper first to remove as mush as possible :thumbsup:


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## sailorman (Aug 9, 2010)

thanks to all for the advice. Guess I'll try that old dull plane on it first, can't hurt that blade.:laughing: I have a RIDGID oscillating sander so that may be the solution.

I had a feeling the planer blades wouldn't enjoy that rock hard glue, but one can always hope.


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

A bit late into this thread - but the cabinet scraper is the best tool. For me, choice #2 would be a sharp chisel sliding the flat back side along the surface. I also have a sharp plane blade set aside to do this type of job. I just slide the flat back side on the surface a cut the dried glue off. I'm not sure a dull plane blade will work. Now that I gave my 2 cents, I feel better! Good luck...


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## sailorman (Aug 9, 2010)

Well thanks to your advice, I attacked the glue with my Dad's old Craftsman Jack plane, which I'd recently sharpened. I've never really successfully used a plane before, so this was good practice. I tried a sharpened triangle scraper, but there was just too much glue for it to do much. After 3 hours of planing, I'm ready for a nap..:yes: That was real work.! But I got about 95% of the glue off, so my planer should be much happier when I run them through tomorrow.

Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction.


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

Looking good :thumbsup:


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## Drew Nyman (Jan 4, 2011)

*Removing squeeze out glue; planer OK?*

Assuming you have left sufficient width simply run it through a tablesaw with carbide blade, then plane to final thickness.


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## AlisaBeth (5 mo ago)

I would just run it through my drum sander after it dries (if you have one).


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

If it's just to remove glue before sanding, I would use a shave-hook to remove the bulk of the glue

BTW @AlisaBeth this thread is 10 years old,. but the way I feel about it, it is still a relevant topic.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I been a member here fo around 14 years and I still do that. LOL


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

A lot depends on the glue. I’d never do it with plastic resin but PVA or epoxy won’t hurt much. Scrape off the worst and send ot through your planer it won’t hurt it.

I just finished a project with 200 laminations, 7/8” thick x36” long, TB3. If my planer blades are duller I sure can’t tell.

But, you’ve got it, just throwing that out there.


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

sailorman said:


> I'm gluing up 1/8" strips of maple/padauk/mahogany for a project. After I remove them from the jig, there's a lot of hardened glue that I need to remove. Since I need to plane them down a bit anyway, I was just going to let that remove the glue too, but not sure if that's going to be good for the blades. Guess I could remove it with a belt sander first, but much more time consuming. Pics don't show the glue, but may give you an idea of what I'm working with.
> 
> advice appreciated.


Too late now, but I usually remove as much glue as possible before it is set. You can use a cloth and water when it is wet, or remove it with a putty knife when it is set, but still soft. A simply glue line of a glued up board is enough to place a groove in HSS planer knives. If you have carbide or a helical carbide head, go for it as it is.


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Find a glue eating cow or a scraper ..I use an old cheap plane over it if it won't just pop off. I've run it through planers many times with no issues though. I guess it depends on how old your planer blades are. It's not going to hurt if you're using old blades and planning to replace them anyway. I replace mine quite frequently since they're not expensive..just whenever I start getting deep grooves in wood surfaces.. I have an old Ridgid planer.. $32 for a set of 3.. Being independently wealthy with my own super yacht and 57 super models hanging around the shop all day money is no object.. (Ok, so I'm old with social security, but I still have an imagination!)


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

Not always that easy on a lamination, there’s clamps everywhere.


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

DrRobert said:


> Not always that easy on a lamination, there’s clamps everywhere.


Who says clamps and planers don't get along? I've never tried it..Have you? Let us know how it turns out if you do and TAKE PICTURES.. ..I want some entertainment.. lol


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

Yeah, I know the layers should be perfectly flush, but the reality is, as pressure is applied the layers want to slide a little. So in a lamination you get situations where it's pretty hard to impossible to clean all the glue up. In the pic you can see a little trough of glue. (There were more clamps added after the pic.

I ran these through the jointer and gave no thought to whether the blades would become dull. But that's me, my planer and jointer blades are only sharp the first day I use them.


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## cipher (6 mo ago)

Although this topic is a decade old, as Tony B mentioned, it's still relevant. 

Regular wood glue is designed to be sanded or planed off. But I'd use your cheaper hand planer or older blades. I generally don't use enough for it to seep out of edges and try to position my work so that it won't leak out of one side. However, with pieces shown in the photos, that's really tough to do.

Gorilla glue can be easily taken off with a long box cutter since it's of a foam consistency, then sanded smooth. And Gorilla glue almost ALWAYS expands out the sides of your wood. I only use Gorilla glue when I'm repairing something that needs more strength than I can achieve with regular wood glue, because it can mess up your staining even more than regular wood glue.


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