# Reactivating glue after it has dried



## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

So I'm taking a woodworking class to learn some new things. One of our projects is a small wall cabinet with a raised panel door (pine).

After cutting and routing the rails, stiles, and panel, I took them home to glue up. Instead of using my pony clamps which clamp from underneath, I just grabbed some F-clamps that were nearby and clamped them from the top. Also, because I'm sometimes careless and not thinking things through, I just clamped it up and didn't check to see if it was flat (though I did check to make sure it was square). This was Wednesday morning and I used Titebond II.

Thursday night I have class and I notice that because I clamped it from the top the two stiles are angled upwards considerably. When I put them on the cabinet face there's a gap on each side 1/4 - 3/8". After thinking of some options to correct it I talk to my instructor who told me to use an iron and heat the glue, then use clamps to straighten.

I thought he was nuts. So I grabbed the iron and started on one end of door heating both joints alternately for 10 seconds over about five minutes. While doing this, I'm pushing on the stiles and _I can actually see them moving_. 

After five minutes of heating the joints I put the end of the door between two cauls and gave it some gorilla pressure with some hand screws. I waited about 20-30 minutes and--I'll be damned--they were straight. I repeated with the other end of the door.

Not sure if any of you knew about that trick, but it really blew me away.

-SW


----------

