Undoing wood glue...advice needed :(

Glowbug · 13th December 2007, 02:15 AM

Yup, I screwed up. Tried to rush putting on the finished baffle for one of the BIB's before I left home the last time, didn't come out right at all. Now I've got a 3/4" baffle that refuses to come off, the glue (Titebond, PVA stuff) has pretty much cured. I've tried heating the baffle with a heat gun, but maybe I just wasn't waiting long enough or it wasn't working.

What would you guys recommend for loosening a glued-on baffle? Maybe an iron would work?

Thinking the steam might do something...what about soaking down the top baffle with water and then heating it?

Thanks in advance.

Steve Eddy · 13th December 2007, 02:26 AM

I'm not aware of any effective ways of undoing glues such a Titebond.

I think you may just have to chalk this up as a hard lesson on not rushing your work.

If you must rush, use hide glue instead of Titebond.

se

jimbo51 · 13th December 2007, 03:26 AM

Heat or steam may damage the rest of the box. Best option may be to saw or router it off, assuming it's the front baffle not internal.

Sacrifice the baffle but save the box!

Good luck.

planet10 · 13th December 2007, 03:50 AM

Once dry the glue is stronger than the wood. As jimbo says you will probably need to sacrifice the baffle,

dave

leadbelly · 13th December 2007, 04:16 AM

I've had luck by soaking the joint with water-soaked rags, even with yellow carpenter's glue. It's probably a long shot, but I would still try it.

maxro · 13th December 2007, 06:46 AM

How about sawing off the sides, right up against the baffle with one of those flexible pull saws for cutting dowels flush? It would be slow as heck, but you'd only lose a kerf thickness worth of cab volume. I suppose you could use a table saw, but the kerf is more than twice as wide.

Andrewbee · 14th December 2007, 12:54 PM

You will need to cut the baffle off to remove it. Once the glue has dried thats it, its permanent. If you use a circular saw with a guide you should be able to remove it without too much effort, just don't rush it this time

OzMikeH · 23rd December 2007, 10:28 AM

Buy a couple of boxes of tiny nails. Drive them in along the joint, all of them. You want about 50% of the joint to be nails. It should pull the panel off with minimum damage.

Think of it as a kind of meditation.

kmj · 23rd December 2007, 10:38 AM

Take one of these and use a hammer or mallet to drive it between the box and baffle and then do than all the way around. Thats how I removed the one I glued wrong a few months ago.

AuroraB · 23rd December 2007, 11:06 AM

PVA glues will come loose with heat, but you need appx 80+ deg C in order for this to work. The pallet knife idea is good - or any thin blunt knife. You can also try heating the blade with a heat gun, and use small wedges - or nails - to keep the seam open as you go along

13th December 2007, 02:15 AM	#1
Glowbug diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hillsborough, NC/McLean, VA	Undoing wood glue...advice needed :( Yup, I screwed up. Tried to rush putting on the finished baffle for one of the BIB's before I left home the last time, didn't come out right at all. Now I've got a 3/4" baffle that refuses to come off, the glue (Titebond, PVA stuff) has pretty much cured. I've tried heating the baffle with a heat gun, but maybe I just wasn't waiting long enough or it wasn't working. What would you guys recommend for loosening a glued-on baffle? Maybe an iron would work? Thinking the steam might do something...what about soaking down the top baffle with water and then heating it? Thanks in advance. __________________ Jim J.

13th December 2007, 03:50 AM	#4
planet10 frugal-phile(tm) diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Victoria, BC, NA, Sol III Blog Entries: 4	Once dry the glue is stronger than the wood. As jimbo says you will probably need to sacrifice the baffle, dave __________________ community sites t-linespeakers.org, frugal-horn.com ........ commercial site planet10-HiFi p10-hifi forum here at diyA

13th December 2007, 04:16 AM	#5
leadbelly diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Calgary, Alberta	I've had luck by soaking the joint with water-soaked rags, even with yellow carpenter's glue. It's probably a long shot, but I would still try it. __________________ Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines. Enzo Ferrari

13th December 2007, 06:46 AM	#6
maxro diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Survey says: Least happiest city in Canada	How about sawing off the sides, right up against the baffle with one of those flexible pull saws for cutting dowels flush? It would be slow as heck, but you'd only lose a kerf thickness worth of cab volume. I suppose you could use a table saw, but the kerf is more than twice as wide. __________________ "Part of the reason a poot into a toilet bowl sounds the way it does is because of phase shift." -Andrew Eckhardt

14th December 2007, 12:54 PM	#7
Andrewbee diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Cayman Islands	You will need to cut the baffle off to remove it. Once the glue has dried thats it, its permanent. If you use a circular saw with a guide you should be able to remove it without too much effort, just don't rush it this time __________________ None of us are leaving this world alive. Enjoy it responsibly as you may.


	Please consider donating to help us continue to serve you. Ads on/off / Custom Title / More PMs / More album space / Advanced printing & mass image saving

13th December 2007, 02:26 AM	#2
Steve Eddy diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA	I'm not aware of any effective ways of undoing glues such a Titebond. I think you may just have to chalk this up as a hard lesson on not rushing your work. If you must rush, use hide glue instead of Titebond. se

13th December 2007, 03:26 AM	#3
jimbo51 diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Melbourne	Heat or steam may damage the rest of the box. Best option may be to saw or router it off, assuming it's the front baffle not internal. Sacrifice the baffle but save the box! Good luck.

23rd December 2007, 10:28 AM	#8
OzMikeH diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2007	Buy a couple of boxes of tiny nails. Drive them in along the joint, all of them. You want about 50% of the joint to be nails. It should pull the panel off with minimum damage. Think of it as a kind of meditation.

23rd December 2007, 10:38 AM	#9
kmj diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Falkenberg	Take one of these and use a hammer or mallet to drive it between the box and baffle and then do than all the way around. Thats how I removed the one I glued wrong a few months ago. __________________ .....Where the music comes to die.

23rd December 2007, 11:06 AM	#10
AuroraB diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Norway, -north of the moral circle..	PVA glues will come loose with heat, but you need appx 80+ deg C in order for this to work. The pallet knife idea is good - or any thin blunt knife. You can also try heating the blade with a heat gun, and use small wedges - or nails - to keep the seam open as you go along

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