Glue bottles.

gafftapegreenia

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What's everyone's favorite method for dispensing wood glue? First off, if you aren't buying your wood glue in large gallon containers, this thread is probably worthless to you. Anyway, for a long while we've been using standard "mustard" type bottles that look like this:
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However, I recently got a great tip from an IA carpenter: use a dish washing liquid bottle. The advantages: Larger volume, less force needed to dispense glue, and its self closing, no more tips clogged with dried glue.

So whats your method?
 
I have been using dishwashing bottles for a good amount of time. They hold up really well. I do however like the elmers bottles that have the flat tip. Those things don't hold up all that well though. I have already had to replace one this season.
 
I use some 16oz polyethylene squeeze bottles, style A here. I don't find it much of a problem to occasionally break off the glue from the tip, it comes off of the polyethylene easily enough, and our glue bottles get regular enough use that we frankly don't bother with caps, making that whole point moot. The hollow conical tips on these bottles are easy to unclog from the inside on the very rare occasion that becomes necessary. The only problem is the neck is narrow, requiring some care not to make a mess when filling them.
 
I love the Elmer's bottle. Used shampoo bottles with the flip lids work pretty well too.
 
I prefer ketchup and mustard bottles, but in a pinch I had a carpenter use an Aquafina water bottle. He just screwed the cap on and drilled a hole in the center of it. It doesn't hold up as long as a ketchup of dish soap bottle, but I guarantee that you will always find an empty water or soda bottle around when you need one.
 
I like 16oz Hersey's syup bottles. Except for the fact that you cn't acually see how much is left in one. The dish-soap typr cap is great !
 
All this talk about wood glue in condiment bottles gives me some really mischievous ideas ;)
 
All this talk about wood glue in condiment bottles gives me some really mischievous ideas ;)

Oh, now that's just wrong. Let me know the outcome, I might have to do it myself!
 
At the City Shop we used to fill the constant extras of water bottles with glue. White from race sponsor Chicago Tribune for white glue, blue from Hinckley & Schmitt for wood glue. Had lots of extras or used ones available. Fairly wide head and they really didn't clog up much. Simple large water bottle with wide pull to open cap. Pull the dried glue off and no real problems. If there was a problem, simply swipe another cap. Wide screw mouth also in filling. Should probably go back to them given my Elmer's glue bottles have that smaller thing shoved up between the narrow slot to seal tem up and frequently dry up and or beak after consant clogging. Gallon of course to refil either but the water bottles seem to last better. Swag bottles I think are better than anything sold in a store on the other hand - more heavy duty. Just had to replace one Elmer's wood glue bottle due to pulling its cap to clean it and pulling the center stop with it. Not the first time for that.

Other option - as Norm does.. bought a Tool Shop glue roller bottle. Didn't work so well. Roller doesn't apply glue as nicely or evenly as a finger and the proximity of the nozzle and its cover to the rubber roller allowed for crap dried on or stuck too easily. This much less second use normally requres total cleaning unless you have a production assistant to clean it for you. I removed the obstructions by way of glue bottle and only use it as a glue spreader now - this after cleaning after every use. Rubber roller only at this point. Probably if using such a thing should thin it some but that's not as good an option both for drip and glue. Rubber roller is now like that of my belt sander roller that is rough with cleaning but not in the case of the glue roller for a stick free surface. Gotta be better roller types out there say UHMW or other rollers for like the printing industry. Rubber for spreading glue isn't a good applicator or sustained usage.


Sub question, how do you remove the blobbed out glue from a finished surface? Water, denatured alcolol, dry rag, sanding?
 
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Sub question, how do you remove the blobbed out glue from a finished surface? Water, denatured alcolol, dry rag, sanding?
If it's dry, utility scraper, the kind that takes a single-edge razor blade--hopefully the piece isn't meant to be stained. If it's fresh, a damp sponge or paper towel does the trick.
 
I use water bottles also just the regular flat top punched with an awl or drywall screw.
the flat top works well for spreading the glue.

i usualy just wipe drips with a wet rag.
 
ketchup bottles and soap bottles are used in most of the shops I have worked in, they are nice and fairly easy to find a replacement for.
 
We been using bottles from the local beauty supply store that are meant for hair dying. they have held up great for us. I think the set we have has been around for a little over 2 yrs or so. And in reference to buying glue in bulk we get home depot to special order us a 55 gallon barrel of wood glue that stores on its side and has a tap on it normally get like 3 yrs out of it did the math last time we got one and bout half the price of buying it a gallon at a time
 

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