What method do you use to remove dried glue from clamps?

You might want to watch Episode 28 of The Wood Whisperer for some good advice and cleaning glue from clamps. After cleaning, it is a good idea to wax the clamps so that glue won’t stick in the future.

-- Roger - Havertown, Pennsylvania

Wax the clamps? That’s brilliant!

-- Check out my new website! http://www.theeasellife.com

A sharp chisel takes it off also.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Other than a scraper or sharp chisel or wax as my friends suggest you could try ringing the manufacturer of the glue. There is usually a solvent like mineral terpentine, acetone or white spirits etc.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

A knife or old wood chisels work fine for me. I like the idea of waxing the clamps too as it will not only release dried glue easier, it will also allow the clamp to slide easier, and protect it from the elements.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

I wax my cauls but never thought of the clamps them selves. Good Idea.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Hi Doug:

Try a heat gun or the little womans hair dryer. Just warm enough to soften the glue then scrape it off.

good luck

Cheers
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

We used to use a commercial made material that was specifically designed for this purpose. I can’t remember what it was called, but you painted it on the clamps and let it dry and glue would just pop off the clamp with finger pressure. It would last longer than wax which has a tendency to rub off after a few uses. We would coat all the clamps with this stuff twice a year. I will try and find out what it was called. In my home shop I wrap clear plastic packing tape around the body of my pipe clamps that I use for gluing up cutting boards..the glue wont stick to the tape.

-- Women love me.....trees fear me

I wax my clamps with SlipIt Sliding compound. Easy to clean off glue and keeps the clamps sliding effortlessly. Doesn’t really answer your original question though. Hey, it’s early, what can I say!

Couple of hours with the vinegar treatment softened the glue up enough to wipe it off with a rag. I always used clear plastic tape on my Pony pipe clamps, but I like the wax idea best. Thanks Fellas!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Wax! Why didn’t I think of that!? Doh!

-- Coffee is best with a fine layer of sawdust on top. -- http://www.north40custom.com

These are some great ideas. Thanks Doug for the blog and thank you gentlemen for the input.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

Wax eh! I think I have about 50 lbs of fresh bees wax left over from honey extraction this summer. Think that would cover it? Probaby simpler to spray on some Pledge. Good idea

-- DocK, WV

I think wax is a great idea. Im getting tired of using a sharp chisel to remove glue.

-- bryano

Spray on Pledge??? That gets me thinkin’...how about spray on some silicone spray? Nothin’ sticks to that!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

I have banished all silicon containing products from my shop. Fisheyes occur when spraying finishes. I think Doc outta melt up some beeswax in turpentine and have a field day.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

was on wax off

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Ah, Ms. Miyagi. Wax on. Wax off. Powerful Crane-style technique.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

I liked that show… the first one, anyway.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I agree with Doug. Silicone bad bad bad! A long time ago, I worked at the (now defunct) Samsonite plant in Denver. The plating area was having a problem with fisheyes. The root cause was the silicone mold release that the injection molding area started using when they ran out of the lecithin-based release. The silicone spray was migrating over 200 feet and landing on the freshly stamped parts, preventing the plating from sticking to the parts. It took quite a while to figure it out, and the scrap costs were pretty high. Silicone products were banned from any area of the plant after that.

I use paste wax on my clamps.

-- Furniture Medic- the prescription for damaged furniture

Me again – tried the vinegar trick to get off the glue. It worked great, the glue came off wonderfully, but now my clamps are black. What did I do wrong?

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

What kind of clamps and how long did you leave it on? I hope I haven’t led you down some wretched path here, Betsy. The vinegar is acidic, and I hit on using it after reading about the configuration of de-glue goo. This may have caused a patina on the surface of the metal, but shouldn’t cause any structural weakness. You might try hitting it with a little steel wool to see if this improves their appearance.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Doug – I left it on about 2 – 2.5 hours. Wrapped the clamps with paper towels soaked in vinegar and then wrapped in some plastic. I’m thinking maybe the particular metal of these clamps simply reacted to the vinegar. I’ll steel wool it and wax really well. I don’t think there will be any problem of transfer of the color to future projects.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!