OT: Releasable Wood Glue

Would like to glue some small pieces of oak, about 1/2" x 3", about 1/8" thick, to a small piece of plywood so that I can dremel them. Then would like to release them from the plywood so that I can carefully glue them to the finish product. Chair restoration project. I'm thinking hot glue, but maybe you guys have something better. Would rather not have to soak in water, solvent maybe. Water tends to open the grain and make a mess.

String instrument repair people depend upon violins and such being put together with hide glue. The instruments have to be taken apart for repairs, so the joints have to be temporary, though maybe not opened up for 100 years or so. The opening process is done very carefully with a thin blade. Centuries of experience have shown that hide glue joints can be broken without damaging the wood. Never stick a good string instrument together with epoxy or Elmers or super glue. Same goes for good antique furniture.

In the case you describe, hide glue and a heated palette knife might be appropriate to prevent damage to the carved parts. Or, use hide glue to attach the wood to a metal block and heat the metal when ready to remove the wood. Hide glue is heated in a double boiler to use, so it can be melted to separate a joint.

Watch repair people use a similar technique, but use stick shellac to attach parts to a metal holder. Shellac melts easily and can be removed with alcohol. Colored stick shellac is often used to patch dings and cracks in furniture, but is not for use as wood glue. Liquid shellac is stick or flake shellac dissolved in alcohol so that it can be applied with a brush.

Larry

How about double sided tape,or like I did in HS wood shop turning bowls white glue with a sheet of newspaper between work and backing. That small and thin a few drops on each side if the paper should do it.

Try using shellac, apply several coats to the wood and then stick it to a steel baseplate while wet, when you have finished machining the oak, just warm the plate and the shellac will melt and release the workpiece.

Simplest thing I can think of is 'museum putty' or 'mounting putty'. It holds surprisingly tight, doesn't soak in or stain and is not difficult to remove with a bit of gentle prying. Last I bought was at ACE hardware (called mounting putty, by LocTite) a couple of weeks ago. It is kind of stiff but can be pressed or rolled fairly thin. I assume you are 'dremeling' by hand, so a super thin bond isn't essential?

A classic technique is to use thinned wood glue (hite glue, hide, or whatever) and stick the part down using a gasket of heavy construction paper - you know the kind we used as kids, thick spongy, felt-like. I use a piece torn form a heavy paper shopping bag.

Be sparing with the glue - just a light wipe on surfaces. Clamp it flat to dry if appropriate.

When it's time to release, a thin spatula, putty or palette knife will do the trick.

One thing that I like to do for jobs like this is to use different single sided tapes, super glue and super glue activator. Pick a tape that has a holding strength that you want on the two wood parts. Normal masking tape may work or something stronger if needed. I normally stick the tape on and then roll it out with something to make a good bond. Next apply the S glue to one tape and the activator to the other. Press together and you are ready to go in a few seconds.
Most of the time it works much better than two side tape and is much cheaper.
I have also used some of the other suggestions above.
A little vacuum chuck or vise might be another option.

Andy

What Frank wrote.
Also might try spray photo mount adhesive. It kinda depends on how hard you’re going to work on them and how fragile when you want to remove them.

Hide glue can be released by a ironing with a clothes iron for thin pieces and veneers. Warm it up and start at one edge with a putty knife pry as you iron. i do not remember the setting for the iron.
Bill D

Rabbit-skin and fish-skin glues

It just came to me. The traditional solution is rabbit-skin glue:

Rabbit-skin glue - Wikipedia

Also, there is fish-skin glue, which isn't as strong but is easier to release:

High Tack Fish Glue - Lee Valley Tools

The technique with paper and glue is also used in wood turning.
A solid piece of wood is screwed to a face plate and the wood piece is turned so that a profile of a bowl is made.
The piece is turned so that the base is flat. The base is glued to a wood face plated with a piece of paper in between.
Now the wood piece is turned in reverse so that the inside can be hollowed out. The cuts cannot be as aggressive as compared with a chuck or screw attached piece.
Later a wide hack saw blade cut in half and sharpened can be lightly tapped at the connection to break off the two wood pieces.

Bill D said:

Hide glue can be released by a ironing with a clothes iron for thin pieces and veneers. Warm it up and start at one edge with a putty knife pry as you iron. i do not remember the setting for the iron.
Bill D

Click to expand...

I often do guitar repairs on vintage guitars from my collection. I use hot animal glue (hide, or fish). It will soften and release at 140-150 degrees F. I have a "Hold Heet" Glue pot that goes to 150 deg. F. and remains constant. I keep a kitchen thermometer in the pot with some water and the glue in a small bottle.

An iron will work OK and you can also use a heat lamp.

Andy St said:

One thing that I like to do for jobs like this is to use different single sided tapes, super glue and super glue activator. Pick a tape that has a holding strength that you want on the two wood parts. Normal masking tape may work or something stronger if needed. I normally stick the tape on and then roll it out with something to make a good bond. Next apply the S glue to one tape and the activator to the other. Press together and you are ready to go in a few seconds.
Most of the time it works much better than two side tape and is much cheaper.
I have also used some of the other suggestions above.
A little vacuum chuck or vise might be another option.

Andy

Click to expand...

That's an interesting technique, one I've not come across before. Always something new to learn ...