Now this is a tip that all you crusty old veterans will think is second nature, however, I can bet that many newbies (or lower ranks, like idiot officers) are seldom prepared.
How often do you make that incredible dovetail join that you need a mallet to separate after the test fit, only to find gaping canyons after applying the glue.
Depending on your level of fitness, workshop layout, slack “put tool away practice”, you might just run around like a bluearsed-fly and fabricate some sawdust to rub into the glue “squeeze out” in the gap… but most will return panting, with that precious handful of sawdust to sprinkle on the cured glue blob.
If you can relate to this and don’t play video games, where one of the major objectives when starting a new game is to "farm resources"… well, here is how I farm sawdust… no bull.
In all fairness, you may not have the exact same sawdust as the timber you're working on... but any sawdust is better than white/yellow/grey glue.
On a final word, there are many ways of fixing OOPSIES, this is just one way to fix if your druthers is using sawdust during actual glueup and not post mortems.
Initially posted this on another forum on 28th May, 2018.
I just finished watching another one of those videos where the author advises the use of sawdust in the glue squeeze out to create that seamless join especially when you finish up using a zig saw instead of the zag saw… GREAT TIP!
Now if you are like me, there is never enough time to finish clamping before the glue starts to set, let alone go foraging for enough sawdust to mix into the squeeze-out/gaps… and sometimes I have craters.
If you are a clean freak… OOPS, the shop would be spotless and if you are not then the sawdust on the floor should be contaminated by cigarette butts, empty tinnies and crumbs of micro-waved leftovers.
I went to my supermarket and could not find any bottled sawdust on the shelf... I Karened and lodged a serious complaint with the manager. Arriving home and failing a Google search, I decided to bottle my own brew.
I am a dust freak… (SWMBO says I use the prefix "dust" too freely…) so I have posse of cyclone collectors (Dust Deputies) front ends to all my dust collectors and shop vacs.
One of the DD's is for my sanding and from that I can harvest very fine sawdust. Another one "front ends" behind my mitre saw. This can supply me with the coarse dust.
Some of that dust I then sieve to give me the medium dust…, here's the proof,
Now a lot will say that the saw dust may not match the job… especially if you use diversified timber. I suggest farm more frequently after processing specific timbers… alternatively put some of that scrap we all brag about and spend a few hours making dedicated dust, bottle it
and try not to mix it up with your favourite alcoholic beverage.
Often you'll be caught with your pants down and don't have matching saw dust, I feel that a contrasting "hair line" is better than a gaping hole or congealed glue (often yellow, white or grey) that cannot be coloured without excavating the fill… and then you fill it with what?
Just make sure you have reserves and next to the project during glue up.
Hope this may inspire some to make some saw instead of the traditional bull. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Edited and added for this Craftisian post.
When I made pens and turned the blanks down, I often slowed down and collected some shavings in a large gouge that I then hoarded. I then had a fair collection of coloured sawdust that I could use on pens or other projects for highlights,
No idea what type of timber they're from... I just go by best desired colour match on demand.
The larger chunks of "dust" makes for a great "burlish" look for contrast.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
I use little plastic containers for my sawdust. Most times I use a sander, I will put on those little worthless bags for a while to get some off the project I'm working on. I can usually get a min. amount while the air in my shop gets the max. amount.
Oh…my….god…duck. I will say, I’ve taken to (on larger projects, when I remember) sanding down a cutoff the from the project and collecting up the finer dust just prior to glue up for just such a need. I have not considered canning and creating a preserve wall of it however, that’s next level….
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
I was just digging through my dust collector last night cursing because I didn't have any fine dust to fill in a gap. I guess I know what I'm doing from now on! Thanks for the tip.
I'd end up with broken glass everywhere. I go to the everything's a Dollar place in town. They sell an off brand zip top plastic storage bag line, in all the sizes from 1/2 sandwich to gallon. I use those for my stash of sawdust/soon to be crack filler.
I say that about filling cracks and small blems with the sawdust, and glue mix, and sand it in, but I NEVER make any mistakes that need filling. SNORT!!!!!! :-)
Could never get the hang of those sandwich bags... I always want to eat the contents of them... though it's a good way to store the sawdust... on a moment of inspirational thought while typing, the jars stay upright and easier to get into one handed.
I am a glass bottle tragic and store all my stuff in them, That's why I avoid vine bottles in favour of casks... you can't put nails into a vine bottle... ok, but they're bloody hard to get out. I like to see up front what I'm looking for... I link it to the downfall of the new LJ format that depends on a search engine to look for something you don't know the name of.
I only use the 1 large bottles for when I need heaps of sawdust for the many big oopsies and am now a square jar convert. Whatever I decant into a glass jar (I can feel another hint growing in momentum), the lid always seem to seize up on me, and aided by my dodgy left arm and "reattached" 1/2 right thumb I have to go to extremes to remove the lid. Square jars fit neatly in a vice and a strap wrench is great on the lid, without what used to be the inevitable spillage.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
