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Im currently working on guitar #2 and have a question about glue. My first guitar I used titebond for everything except the binding and purfling I used CA.

I admit I have run into issues cleaning up titebond sqeeze out around the bracing on both guitars. This time I thought I did a pretty good job cleaning around the braces before the glue was dry, but after it dried I had some glue smears etc on the top and back plates, it was difficult to remove this and took a lot of probably unnecessary time. I wondered why if Hot Hide is easier to clean up, and what the process is to do so.

I use hot hide glue for literally everything that goes on a guitar. If I were you, I would not make my decision about which glue to use for bracing just on the basis of how easy it is to clean up squeeze-out. These two glues (aliphatic resin versus animal protein) have different properties; different strengths and weaknesses. Weigh all of those factors, then decide which one you want to use for this task. I personally find hot hide glue easier to clean up after, but I can also clean up Titebond squeeze-out just fine. Maybe you should work on the timing and technique of your clean up, rather than switch glues. If you wait too long, hot hide glue squeeze-out is no fun to deal with, either.

I use chopsticks from the local sushi place for Titebond clean-up. I flatten one end and angle the leading edge slightly. Zips glue right up and easy to make a new tip when worn. I'm running low right now, so dang I'm going to have to get more sushi.

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It will probably be alright.

Plastic straws for glue clean up could be one of the best luthier tools out there. Sometimes won't get it all but truly a great technique...

Check image 6 below...

https://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop ... nd-tricks/

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Thank You and Best To All

For Titebond the straws work great. For all glues experience also helps as you learn how much glue to use so that you minimize the amount of squeeze out.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I use titebond for bracing and clean up with an old steel rule. I works wonders and can clean a decently wide area compared to straws (what I used to use).

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Good to know...

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Thank You and Best To All

Honestly I don't think HHG is really that much easier to clean up then TB. For TB I wait till it's leather hard then remove it with the LMI glue chisel. It usually comes up in one long string. For smears that you might have missed you can just use a chisel as a scraper, a scraper, or a razor blade.

After initial cleanup with whatever you like best (I use strips of spruce sanded to an edge in the belt sander) scrubbing along the edge of the brace with a toothbrush and hot water from the glue pot followed by a paper towel and a light touch with a heat gun to dry works great for hide.

I think it would probably work for Tightbond too but I have been able to get satisfactory results with the sharpened spruce sticks and waiting till it is leathery.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Two tools I will use to clean squeeze out other than a chisel are razors blades and popsicle sticks which are quickly shaped and cleaned on a sander. Both are effective, reusable, and very cheap disposable items.

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Another thing to learn is to use just the right amount of glue to eliminate a lot of squeeze out. You do want some squeeze out but it’s only a tell tail sign that enough glue was used...
I’ve used a small metal ruler (engineers scale) sharpened spruce off cut, plastic straw and moistened paper towel. Usually the paper towel is the last thing I use to clean up.


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Wait for the glue to gel, then slice loose the now-Gummy Worm-like strand of squeeze-out with a sharpened, repurposed Popsicle stick...two passes to cut away on the vertical and then horizontal. Wipe off the remaining residue with a hot water-soaked paper towel (145-150 degree F). Wipe off any excess water. Unlike Titebond, any hot hide missed in the initial pass will still clean up without much effort after drying...just use some hot water.

Titebond clean-up IS a PITA, but if the squeeze-out - which is your worst enemy with Titebond and your best friend with hot hide - is neatly removed with a stick or creased straw before it sets up as mentioned above, a warm water wipe down will get the rest of the offensively urine-yellow stuff off your work.

IMO, the overhead with hot hide is well worth the better usability (e.g., easier clean-up, quicker/better tack, etc.) and ease of repair, but there is a bit of a learning curve if you have not used it before and don't have someone to cover the tips and tricks of use. Always an option to build the first few instruments with Titebond or other AR/PVA while getting your feet on the ground, then make the move to hot hide as your skills improve and stress level decreases.

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One nice thing about HHG - if you are not absolutely fastidious about cleaning up glue squeeze out it kind of blends in and doesn't look horrible. It is also nice for doing rubbed joints - as it dries it tightens up. My instruments won't win any awards for internal beauty, I try to leave enough glue in place to keep things stuck together.

For bracing, a tip that Dave Farmer gave me made all the difference when it comes to HHG. Dry fit your brace into the go-bar deck and then once you are happy with the go-bar arrangement, just move them off the brace onto the soundboard (or, I like to use a 0.050 strip of spruce so not to dent the top) right next to where they will go on the brace. Put the glue on the brace, place it, then just bump each go-bar over onto the brace where it belongs. Sure beats trying to position the go-bars while the clock is running.

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I think I red in GAL that properly installed fan braces in classical guitars using hot hide glue do not telegraph their shape and do not show through the top over the years.

That's more of a matter of top thickness and sometimes clamping pressure than the glue, I believe.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

. I prefer Fish glue over HHG, Because of the fast tack , but harder to clean than HHG

Since I went to using HHG for bracing rather than Titebond I seem to notice less 'cold creep' in the top over time. I may be fooling myself, of course.