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Mishaps and Mistakes!


Kells

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Holly mentioned glue drips on this thread, which reminded me of a stupid boo-boo I made recently. We all give tips and tricks when we're able, how about sharing some of our mishaps so others may avoid them? I'll start.

GLUE RESIDUE! I had glue residue on one of my thumbs while finishing a furniture kit. Enough to seal the wood anyway. Guess what? Stain doesn't take over glue residue. Now I have to sand down a whole danged table top and start over. My thumb print is so clearly visible the FBI could identify me from it. Sshh, don't tell, I've successfully hidden from them for years!

FWIW, the project is combining two dining table kits in order to get a longer table. A standard six-inch table just wasn't going to cut it for where I need it, so I'm combining two 8" long kits. One will be a 10" table and the remaining end pieces and bird cage pedestal a 6" table that I guess I'll find a place for somewhere. I ain't sharing my sloppy work (at least not until I repair the finish!) but here's what I'll end up with.

Duncan Phyfe Dining Table EXTENDED.jpg

Duncan Phyfe Dining Table SHORTENED.jpg

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I'm the queen of glue slops! I started pre-staining my kit pieces before gluing, and I also bought brown tinted glue from Tite-bond.

I haven't made a kit in so long I can't really say if I did better!

Look at this way...when someone shows your pieces on the Antiques Road show, they will definitively be able to identify your work!

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9 hours ago, Mid-life madness said:

Look at this way...when someone shows your pieces on the Antiques Road show, they will definitively be able to identify your work!

HAHAHA! I'll be lucky if any of my work ends up in a junk shop much less the Antiques Road Show!

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2 hours ago, havanaholly said:

Glue slops and mini furniture assembly is why I stain all the pieces first and let them dry thoroughly before gluing.

I, too, learned the hard way to stain furniture kit  pieces BEFORE any gluing. However—I have read, in the instructions for a couple of different kits, to be careful not to get stain or paint into the areas where you will be gluing, as that reduces the adhesion of the glue. So to some extent you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t😁! Especially in 1:24 scale. 

I am getting a better sense of how much glue is enough, but still have some ooze at the edges at times. Found that a combination of moistened q-tips and toothpicks worked to neaten that up, though. 

I keep a cup of water on my worktable now, to rinse off the toothpick between passes along the glue line. It’s also a nice fingerbowl for a quick rinse-off of my gluey fingers, at least until IT gets too tacky.

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4 hours ago, peonyfoxburr said:

I, too, learned the hard way to stain furniture kit  pieces BEFORE any gluing. However—I have read, in the instructions for a couple of different kits, to be careful not to get stain or paint into the areas where you will be gluing, as that reduces the adhesion of the glue. So to some extent you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t😁! Especially in 1:24 scale. 

I am getting a better sense of how much glue is enough, but still have some ooze at the edges at times. Found that a combination of moistened q-tips and toothpicks worked to neaten that up, though. 

I keep a cup of water on my worktable now, to rinse off the toothpick between passes along the glue line. It’s also a nice fingerbowl for a quick rinse-off of my gluey fingers, at least until IT gets too tacky.

My stupidity came from doing two things at once. The glue residue was actually from putting down some flooring in a house. After weighting that down, I wiped off my hands (not well enough, obviously!) then turned to pick up this piece and, well . . .   :kicks self hard:

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17 hours ago, havanaholly said:

Once the stain is good & dry Titebond will stick those stained pieces together just peachy.

I use Titebond almost exclusively for building houses, but only use plain old Elmer's white glue for building furniture. I find it more manageable and it holds basically forever.

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That’s good to know about Titebond. I usually use either regular Elmer’s or Aleene’s Tacky Glue. I am probably not patient enough with letting stain dry completely. Even with a/c, it is really humid inside in summer, compared to winter. 

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I cannot seem to put windows together without getting glue on the acetate. I've improved, but have a big mess on the door window of current house. I've tried to disguise it but every time I look at the door, it's all I can see.

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That's why I use clear-drying Elmer's all-purpose white glue on the window.  When I get glue on the window and I can't get rid of it all with a wet Qtip, I smear it over the acetate and voila! instant hand-blown "glass" windows.

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3 hours ago, havanaholly said:

That's why I use clear-drying Elmer's all-purpose white glue on the window.  When I get glue on the window and I can't get rid of it all with a wet Qtip, I smear it over the acetate and voila! instant hand-blown "glass" windows.

Oooh, nice save!

I'm going to play with that.

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  • 1 month later...

I always managed to get something on the wallpaper, paint,glue,stain, something! so frustrating! One house I redid the wallpaper in oen spot like 3 times and i was like forget i will jsut freaking cover it!!! hahaha. I'm clumsy.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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