Glue-up is done - now what?

Time to break out a card scraper! Then the sander…..Don’t just scrape/sand the joints however as you will end up with valleys….use even strokes across the entire face…..at an angle if you are scraping…

You could hit it with a plane, but unless you have a well tuned plane and are familiar with it, I would go the safer route….I’ve torn up some nice planks with various planing snafus….live and learn….

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

A nice sharp card scraper will do the best job for you. Your thumbs are going to get hot, though! lol

-- Furniture Medic- the prescription for damaged furniture

Seems that glued up panels always need a bit of work even when done perfectly. I hope you cleaned off as much glue as possible before it fully dried. Once the glue hardens it’s a much more laborious process to get it off. If you still have hard glue get it off before reaching for your plane or you’ll cruse yourself the next time you’re sharpening it. Check for highspots with a straight-edge. Take a hand plane to any high spots on the boards by working across the panels on a diagonal with the grain direction…once those are gone go with the grain for any final planning then cut over to the card scraper…either a handheld scraper or a scraper plane will work.

Good luck!

I agree with the card scraper route. I very rarely have a glue-up that hasn’t needed some attention despite using plenty of clamps, biscuits, cauls. There always seems to be a stubborn part of the panel that simply doesn’t want to line up despite a dry fit that appears to be flawless.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

I guess it’s time for me to learn how to sharpen & use a card scraper then… and add it to the list of tools I need to buy!

Will the ROS eventually get me there in the meantime?

-- -- Kevin in Mentor, Ohio

I’m not sure about the ROS but just something about the card scraper. Rockler has one with a mill file and burnisher for 23$. probably not the best scraper but after you learn how to use and sharpen you will have money to upgrade.

Another really good investment for flat panel glue-up clean up is the Stanley#80 scraper. You can find them on eBay pretty much every day, and shouldn’t spend more then $20 for one. They do a job simillar to a card scraper but are easier on the thumbs. The card scraper is invaluable, though, no matter what.

Gee – I feel kind of stupid, but what is the “ROS”?

And BTW – congratulations on the glue up!

-- "No Board Left Behind"

ROS = Random Orbital Sander

Don’t feel stupid – I didn’t know what a #80 was!

-- -- Kevin in Mentor, Ohio