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Clamping
Some glues require immediate clamping after application. Yellow (aliphatic resin) and white (polyvinyl resin) woodworking glues should be clamped within minutes of application -- liquid hide glues are left to get tacky before clamping -- and contact cement, cyanoacrylates and quick-set epoxies require no clamping at all.
Clamping, like glue application, must be done correctly. Too much pressure on hard, closed-grain woods like maple and cherry can force the glue out of the joint causing a “starved joint” that’s weak. Too little pressure can leave unsightly glue lines showing between your pieces. Always clamp down just enough to make your pieces fit together snugly without “starving” the joint.
Before you apply any glue to your project, dry clamp the pieces together to be sure all the joints fit properly . . .poor-fitting joints will be weak, regardless of how much glue you use. Weak joints will also be the result when you use glue that has become “jellied”, before or after clamping...or if the glue dries without bonding to both surfaces. To prevent this, follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully.
What to do with squeeze-out -- It is almost inevitable that glue will get into places where it’s not welcome. Whether it’s squeezed from a joint or accidentally dribbled from the bottle or applicator, an unwanted, sticky bead of glue will challenge your patience. Don’t give in to your first impulse to grab a dry or damp rag and wipe it up immediately. This approach merely spreads the glue around into an even larger area where it will have to be sanded out later. The best approach is to allow the glue to dry completely, then scrape it off cleanly with a Cabinet Scraper (See Figure 4).
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