What do you like to use for a glue spreader

Rich Soby

Member
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Location
Cape Cod, Ma.
Just curious what everyone uses.
Me I use an ink brayer for all my edge gluing and laminations and an acid or detail brush for gluing coped rails when I am assembling doors or wainscot
 
  • Fingers
  • Little acid Brushes
  • Old hotel room card keys
  • Plastic glue spreader thingy's

These actually work pretty well and last quite a long time.
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another vote for ink knives for the long flats and the brushes for the cope stuff, also for large areas i use a plastic squeegee and a old plane blade to get the excess off after it sets..must be a stanley plane blade:) no other works as well:)
 
Had to look up that 'ink brayer' thingy...

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I've got a couple of glue bottles with rollers like that on them I use for long wide pieces...

One like this:

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And one like this:

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I save old plastic hotel keys, Starbucks cards, Fake credit cards sent in the mail, etc. You have the wide edge to use or the narrower edge to use and frequently cut to the desired width for dados and similar applications.

For wider surfaces, the brayers work great. A little wider and I use the short knapp, small diameter, paint rollers.

Other than that: Q-Tips, toothpick ends, small brushes, fingers and darn near anything else available.

Enjoy,
Jim
 
About ever third or fourth time I'm at the borg I'll swing through the cabinet section and pick out several laminate samples. They work well for spreading glue. Who knows it might inspire me to get new counter tops for the shop one day too.:D They also make great shims.
 
fingers.

when I first started, I used the little brushes, and I have some of those roll on glue applicator bottles.
But whenever Id need a glue brush, I couldnt find one. Just more junk hidden amongst the other little junk things I bought and never used.
Then the bottles, ech...always had to spend time cleaning them, the glue didnt come out evenly, so it was more junk to bury the other junk and it got to a point that I was always using my finger anyway.
And my finger to this day, has never been lost or misplaced once since I began using it, so its dependable, easily cleaned, and it bends when it needs to bend, unlike brushes.
the way I look at it is, I was born with a perfect glue applicator
 
Everytime I use a cheap foam brush for some kind of paint or staining job I save it when I'm done. After using it I peal away the foam and I am left with a nice straight piece of plastic mounted on the brush handle. They make great glue spreaders.
 
Fingers and Handyman Club of America membership cards do most of it here. Haven't gotten any cards lately--going to start saving the junk stuff that comes in the mail.
 
I am in Brent's camp with
  • Fingers
  • Little acid Brushes
  • Old hotel room card keys
  • Plastic glue spreader thingy's
I am still using the first of a bag of 6 plastic glue spreader thingys that I bought years ago. A single hole paper punch puts nice little half moons along the edge of an old card for spreading largre amopunts over large areas. When laminating large flat surfaces I use a pastry roller . . .
 

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I use the same plastic thingy that Brent listed. They last a long time and available at LV.

Tried the acid brushes they too soft and end up making a mess.

I agree with Allen on the bottles as well tried those and spend more time trying to get them clean and keep the nozzle clean of dried glue than its worth. That included what looked like a great idea but is poorly implemented and that is the glue bottle with the roller at the bottom.

Old credit cards or promotion cards are also a bonus.

Then i also keep some sliced up thin strips of wood handy and use those cut from scrap on thebandsaw. I just use a stanly knife to shape the end to what i want for the specific glue up.

Never used the ink roller.
 
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