The Technique of FURNITURE MAKING

APPLICATORS FOR GLUE, ETC

A special bristle brush is sold for hide glues: paint brushes are not suitable as frequent heat­ing destroys the rubber bonding. For rubber based impact glues a tin spreader with serrated edge is supplied by the manufacturers, or teeth can be filed in a piece of waste plastic laminate—cellulose thinners will clean off waste glue if applied before the glue sets hard. PVA emulsion glues are frequently supplied in squeezable polythene containers; the same type of container (clean detergent bottles, etc.) can also be used for single application resin glues, but they will have to be washed out before the glue sets off. Bristle brushes are not recom­mended, for even though they are washed out every time they will eventually harden with residual glue traces, and spare lengths of stick or dowel rod with rounded or flattened ends are better.

For separate application resin glues, where resin and hardener must be kept separate, the resin can be stored for some weeks in a discarded but clean detergent bottle, thumb actuated lever pump oil can or in a plastic bottle with wide cap, through which an applicator stick, or length of 1/4 in (6 mm) basket cane hammered out at one end to form a rough brush, is inserted and held in position with pieces of cork either side. The separate hardener, which must be kept free from any metal contamination, can be stored in a similar type bottle with a felt wick or a piece of rag bound round the end of a stick to form a mob head inserted through a cork stopper. As mentioned on p. 78 a photographic rubber roller is ideal for spreading resin veneering glues, as thick or lumpy coats will only result in excessive penetration.

Plastic sheeting is ideal for interleaving between veneer face and platen or caul in press work, for resin glues will not adhere to it. If there is much penetration with porous woods, scrape off the glazed glue patches as soon as possible. Damping the wood surface will often make difficult scraping easier.

Glue-pots

The familiar cast-iron double glue-pot with water-jacket and tinned container for use on gas-ring or Primus stove has been largely super­seded by the electric glue-pot. either water - jacketed or waterless, and thermostatically con­trolled to give a constant temperature of around 130° F (54° C) which is the safe maximum for hide glue. The advantages of the electric pot are obvious.