# What a mess!!



## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

Try hide glue. It is quick and can be reworked and it will come off just about everything. It is applied hot so your shop temps should not bother it too much but you will have to work quickly. Titebond has a hide glue that does not need mixing and heating but I have not tried that one yet.


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## Woodchuck1957 (Feb 4, 2008)

Personally, I really like Gorilla glue, the problems you experienced are just the nature of the beast and are pretty minor. They can be solved with a good pair of gloves, or be really carefull, and masking around the edges of your glue joints, or a good sharp chisel. The worst thing you can do is try to wipe it off a prodject after glueing, just let it be and not smear it. Any glue can leave a mess on a prodject if your not smart about it. Be one with the glue Grasshopper.


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## chriswright (Nov 13, 2008)

As far as removing the stains from your hands, try something like GoJo hand cleaner, and if you can get it with the pumis powder even better.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I've used Gorilla glue before and other glues like that. And yes they foam up. Use sparingly and keep your hands covered. I've never used water before. And it's always found the water it needs in the air or the wood.


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## SST (Nov 30, 2006)

I tried Gorilla Glue once, and will never use it again. It was way more trouble than it was worth.There doesn't seem to be any need for the product in woodworking, in my opinion. Fine Woodworking Mag did a test of most types of wood glues, and Gorilla Glue results were surprisingly poor in comparison with glues that were much easier to work with….oh well, as I said..just my opinion. -SST


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## romansfivefive (Jan 26, 2008)

I really don't like the mess it makes, but there are some jobs that it does so well, I can't help but use it. glueing wood to other materials is always such a hit and miss task. I have tried glueing, plastic, steel, copper, leather with great results and concrete, abs, and vinyl with a little less luck. I just use it on items that can be sanded afterwards, because there is no controlling it once it starts to expand.


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## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

yep what you are getting is pretty normal. gorilla glue expands when it sets and you want to scrape that off before it hardens. you also can't get it on your hands! that stain will be with you for awhile. it does work well for many applications though. just have to take those precautions.


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## DRdeveloper (Nov 29, 2008)

I use a similar product here in the Dominican Republic… it works great. However, the only way to get it off your hands is with a pumice stone or sandpaper. Go get your wife's manicure kit and get to work. The upside is that your hands will be very soft afterwards. I asked a manicurist about this and she told me sanding with a fine grit is good for your hands, as long as you don't do it every day… removes callousses, dirt and dead skin cells… use some moisturizer afterwards.


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## Radish (Apr 11, 2007)

I love it when it's a job that can benefit from it's properties - especially in a cold shop. But the stains are a bear. Have on a pair of nitriles before even picking up the bottle. I find that it cleans up well while still setting if you use a cloth with Mineral Spirits (Paint Thinner). It works so much better in a cold shop than Titebond III does. At the low end of TB-III's stated range I have gotten chalky, starved joints - and that was after storing the glue and the components in a heated home before trudging out to the shop to glue up.

It's also nice if your dovetails aren't so pristine, swelling to fill little errors and it will take a stain better than any PVA type glue will. I also rely on it to laminate thin woods without causing the swelling and warping I've encounter with TB-III.

I have also used the liquid hide glues (Franklin and Titebond) with good results. Gluelines pretty much disappear under clear coat finishes. It's good to have all these types, and the CA glues on hand for their own particular best uses.


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## grumpycarp (Feb 23, 2008)

For getting the dang stuff off I use soap, water, and a green Scotchbrite pad, scrubbing till it almost bleeds.

As one of above stated it is good for joining dissimilar materials, like quarters to the sidewalk in front of a parking meter . . . but so is two part epoxy and it's a lot less expensive.

Good old Titebond Two is always my go to glue. It is stronger than the wood. Done. What would be the oint of using anything "stronger"? GG has a lot of downsides, besides the skin staining issue. Some guys mistakenly believe that since it (foams) expands that it is good for filling gaps and loose fitting joints. Nothing could be further from the truth. When it is used in a less than optimal joint or glue up the voids have almost no shear strength, what you have is basically a foam filled catastrophe.

I kept my glues in a "warming box" when the temp got chilly when I lived up in Truckee, (I just moved downhill. . .) It was also big enough for the chargers for the cordless tools. I'll post the details in a blog or something, if anyone is interested.

I have used Titebond hide glue and like it. In addition to being reversible it also doesn't telegraph through finishes like TBII and other AR glues. But below about 50-55 deg/f. it turns to jello. Obviously if you use a glue pot and real hide glue you will not suffer this short coming.


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## Greg3G (Mar 20, 2007)

I used GG and the Elmers clone. I will never use them again. I thought since it is labeled as waterproof it would work great for cutting boards. Don't, of all the cutting boards I've made, those were the only ones to have the glue joints fail. One of the magazines also included them in their tests and they came way short on strength. I just can't justify its use any longer. It also has a limited shelf life.

I love Titebond's Liquid Hide glue. It works great. It will jell up if it gets cold but just bring it in the house and when it warms, it back to normal. I use it and Titebond III exclusively now.


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## jofm3 (Sep 17, 2008)

I have run into the same pitfalls as mentioned above with the Gorilla Glue in the woodshop. I must say, there is a proper time and job for GG, but not in fine woodworking projects. Titebonds Liquid Hide works great and I very seldom use anything besides Titebond III. My two cents…....


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## rikkor (Oct 17, 2007)

I use GG to glue the brass tubes into pen blanks. And that's all I use it for.


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

I was disappointed by the holes the bubbles left in my tight joints as the directions said to moisten the wood especially if using hard tropical woods. I tried to fill the holes with more glue and that was not an easy task. The large bottle of Gorilla Glue also recently solidified as the cap is not airtight and when I try to squeeze out all of the air for it to seal it quickly fills up, telling me there's not airtight seal. I had to throw almost a whole 16 oz bottle out as it's a cylindrical rubberized bottle now. Anyone need a doorstopper that rolls?

I recently purchased a 2 oz. bottle hoping I could use it up quick enough before it solidifies but after reading this post as to it's weakness, I'm considering taking it back. I also purchased a bottle of the Gorilla's Wood Working Glue, it looks like the other brands, Elmer & Titebond and may have similar results. As long as it doesn't bubble up, it should work, but maybe the New Kid on the block isn't so great.

BTW: I always use a pair of disposable gloves when applying glue. Murphy's law applies here.


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## USCJeff (Apr 6, 2007)

I remember Fine Woodworking doing a couple glue reviews over the last year or so. I remember TBIII was the leader in most everything. I remember GG being the shock to them. They were shocked at the price versus the terrible results. All their tests were no wood, I believe.


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## TraumaJacques (Oct 25, 2008)

Well with 600 grit wet sand paper most of the glue stains are gone (I have new finger prints now) and I have moved all my clamps and gluing paraphernalia in the basement for the winter. I am a big fan of epoxy and TBII-III but they do not do well in the cold.thanks for all the comments and keep on posting.


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## GaryCN (Aug 18, 2007)

I have found that Acetone works best for cleanup of stained hands if used soon enough.
it will also work with fiberglass and superglue. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone


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## romansfivefive (Jan 26, 2008)

I have never been a fan of tbIII, I am impatient and some of the pieces I glue on my toys really can't be clamped, (not with the clamps I own anyways) so I usually hold them in place for a few minutes then use straps. I find that tbIII takes much longer to set up than my favourite Lepage. Lepage is thicker, easier to control, cheaper and I like the tip design so much better. I was given a bottle of Elmer's wood glue and I understand why they didn't finish the bottle. It is my least favourite so far.


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## dustygirl (Mar 11, 2008)

Thank you all for posting the glue tips.Greatly appreciated.


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## jcash3 (Dec 15, 2007)

I use a trick when i'm veneering and the temperature gets below 40f, i'll take an electric blanket and put over the piece after i've clamp it up and it keeps it all warm and snuggly until it dries. 
I never use gorilla glue, it's weak and messy compared to titebond III.


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## Ellen (Mar 25, 2006)

We tried using Gorilla glue one time for a bed with a ton of spindles thinking that it would give us more time before curing. This was before we had learned the smart step of using blue tape to keep the glue off objects we didn't want glued or problems with squeeze out. Like you all say, what a mess! Never will use it again. Titebond is our friend.

I do wish there was a nice slow drying glue that didn't have 2 parts to mix before you can use it. Any ideas there? We used to watch David Marks with his slow drying glues, but he never mentions what name brand he uses and is always mixing up some. I just want it right out of a bottle/tube.


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## TraumaJacques (Oct 25, 2008)

I think hide glue has a slower setting time but i have never worked with it so I don,t know for sure but this could be what David uses. I know Titebond makes a hide glue but again never used it.


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## miles125 (Jun 8, 2007)

Titebond II is the hands down best glue ever created for the woodworker. A craftsman 50 years ago would have traded his favorite set of chisels for a gallon of the stuff!


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## bob101 (Dec 14, 2008)

this glue is great but must be used sparingly, and is some work to clean up but its great at gap filliing and for anything wooden that may get exposed to the elements, I use it for laminating skis for sleighs that I make and it has never failed.


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## pashley (Mar 22, 2008)

I'm no fan of GG either, having used it several times. If you get squeeze-out, it's a sticky, gooey mess to clean up - if you can at all. With Titebond, a damp cloth cleans it up nicely, and it you get it on your hands, it comes right off.

Then of course is the foaming action, and having to chip that all off. No foaming with Titebond.

No more GG for me!


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

It's my go to glue for outdoor projects where moisture is going to be a problem.
There is a learning curve involved though.
Plan on a good 20 -30 mile channel swim to get it off your hands or buy nitrile or vinyl gloves.
I find the product from le pages works as well at half the cost .

Bob


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## woodcravings (Jan 5, 2009)

I've used GG for repairing things around the house and one woodworking project. The biggest annoyance is that it will dry out in the bottle and you need to take the top off and puncture or cut through the dried glue to get at the usable remainder. I imagine this won't be possible after a few rounds of use and the bottle will likely have much left over.


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## Lea (Mar 7, 2009)

Gorilla glue is great for things like leather to wood (if you can brace it solidly and smoothly), but it's overkill for most projects. Gorilla does make a wood glue. I've used it, but haven't had much chance to determine if it's better than other wood glues or not. Does anyone have an opinion on the Gorilla Wood Glue?


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## poppatom (May 21, 2010)

Had the same experience on a mandolin case I built! Spent more time cleaning it up than I did in building the case!


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## jtscira (Jul 2, 2011)

I use it and have got pretty good with it. I use those disposable brushes to apply a very small amount of water. Then you have to brush on such a thin amount of glue it almost looks like its too little and keep it about 1/16 of an inch away from where it will seep out of the joint then clamp.

If done right while it is curing you will see a very tiny bead of the "foam" seep out of the crack. When dry use a sharp chisel to knock off the excess.


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## Everett1 (Jun 18, 2011)

I LOVE using it for cutting boards. I religiously wet bot surfaces before using it though. I find it fills every tiny little crack you could imagine on a cutting board. After it dries, since it's a flat cutting board anyway, just scrape the stuff away with a scraper and voila.

I would never use it on anything other than a cuttingboad or a flat surface where scraping like crazy isn't a problem though. All of my cuttingboards have held up.


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