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I just wanted to pass this realization on to somebody.
Don't use water when cleaning the glue between the braces, and the top, or back.

I never use water for glue clean up on the braces. I wait about 10 minutes, then using the end of a thin blunt-ended metal ruler, I scrape up the semi-hard excess glue. It comes up easily and cleanly.

Another trick I learned recently is to use a drinking straw to scrape up the glue - this method works well too, and has the benefit that the excess glue ends up inside the straw out of harm's way. However, I can never find a darned straw when I need one....but the ruler is always there on the bench!

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

I use liberal amounts of water from the glue pot when cleaning HHG, a soft toothbrush and small painter's brush are ideal. Dry with paper towel material and a couple of passes with a heat gun and it's done. I never had an issue, with any wood.
What was your issue, and with what glue?

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Me too! Give!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I THINK it is the same as working in a high humidity environment, no?
Doesn't water soak into the wood?
I use TB orig, and am cleaning it a minute or so after clamping with a small ruler,
and it works well.
Maybe I koo-koo.
My brain won't stop thinking.
I did have a top curve down, big time,
(it was dead flat, no radius),
when I used water to clean.
Probably very humid at the time too.
I don't know.
Whaddya all think?
Something else to think about?

The amount of water absorbed while wiping off the squeeze out is long gone by evaporation by the time I take the top or back out of the radius dish in the gobar deck. Besides the glue we use adds plenty of water to the joints and does not effect anything badly.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

" THINK it is the same as working in a high humidity environment, no?"

No.

Insufficient amount of water (unless you flood the whole plate). Insufficient exposure area (ditto). Insufficient time for absorption before evaporation (unless you're working in a sauna). No absorption through end grain.

All that said, cleaning semi-hard Titebond or similar with chisel, straw, etc. generally does a good job. Follow up with De-Glue Goo if necessary.

I think, if you control humidity, as you should if you are going to be building guitars, it doesn't matter. If you maintain a 40 - 45% humidity environment and dry the excess moisture up when you clean, it's gone in a matter of minutes. Nothing rusts, and things dry so fast, it's amazing. I can spill water on the concrete floor, and it's gone in a matter of minutes, even if I don't dry it up, so I usually don't.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

IMHO the best way to clean up TB1 is about 10 or 15mn after clamping when the squeeze out is not wet anymore, but not yet set either: it will have an elastic, leathery quality to it. A sharp curved chisel will lift it without trouble.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Thank you all.
I'm glueing at 42-45 now,
with an arc to the top r25'.
I'm 56 and getting more fussy and neurotic.
Perfect for building guitars.

Okay.