I glue up quite a bit of popular with Titebond glue. Even after days of drying and careful scraping, when I run the pieces through my Performax 16″ drum sander, the glue line loads up the sandpaper and makes a mess. Is there any way to avoid this? Even after the pieces are planed, the glue-loading problem remains. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Rob Johnstone: The simple answer is no. Glue will load up sandpaper. There may be types of sandpaper that has less of a tendency to load up … but there is no avoiding it. By moving your stock to differing positions on the drum as you make repeated sanding passes, you will not be as likely to build up thick lines of glue on the drum, but that, alas, is the best you can hope for.
Michael Dresdner: It sounds as if you are not leaving enough drying time, and in some instances it can be considerable. That problem is exacerbated by applying too much glue to the joint as well. It is also possible that your glue is somewhat out of date, which tends to make it more rubbery.
This may help: The Martin Guitar Company traditionally glues up the center seam on a top that is only .110″ thick. However, after glue up they leave them sit for seven days before sanding to make sure all the water is out of the glue joint before machining.
