This reader has a glue up and the stain is having problems sinking into areas where there is glue residue. Is there a good way to clean this up?
Simon Watts: A scraper is about the only way. That’s why it’s so important to mask off areas where you don’t want glue. The best bet, not always feasible, is to glue up boards which are slightly oversize and then replane them to their finished thickness.
Michael Dresdner: There are two ways. The first, and by far the easiest, is to prefinish whenever you can. That means mask off any areas that will get glue, finish the parts first, then glue up afterwards. That will guarantee you won’t get glue spots holding out stain. If that is not possible (some things simply can’t be prefinished), check for glue before you stain by wiping down the piece with mineral spirits. It won’t raise the grain, but it will help show you hidden glue spots. If you want to raise grain, use water instead — it will also show the spots. Remove PVA and PVC glues (Titebond, et al) with sandpaper or a scraper, but MAKE SURE you resand the area so that the last thing that touched it was the same type and grit of paper you used to sand the other areas. If you don’t do that, you could get a spot that takes stain differently. For hide glue spots, you can remove them with hot water.
