Why does nobody talk about using a cheap paintbrush to apply wood glue for edge banding?

I used to use my fingers or a putty knife for years, but after watching a cabinetmaker in Cincinnati apply it with a 2-inch chip brush, I tried it and now get a perfectly even, thin coat with zero squeeze-out.

4 comments

4 Comments

sean486d ago

Saw my buddy waste a whole roll of banding with a glue mess. Told him about the brush trick next time, he said it was a total game changer. Couldn't believe he never tried it before.

rowanw916d ago

But what about the brush itself, doesn't that get ruined? I always figured the glue would wreck a cheap brush, making it a waste. You just toss it after, or can you actually clean it out with water if you're quick? That was my big mental block, treating the brush as another disposable tool instead of a mess on my hands.

wade_dixon6d ago

I mean, it's one of those things that seems obvious once you see it, but you just never think to try it. It's like how we all get stuck doing something the hard way because it's the first way we learned. I see this everywhere, not just in the shop. People will use a kitchen knife to open a package when scissors are right there, or struggle with a bad phone app for years. We just accept the minor hassle as normal. That brush trick cuts out the cleanup, which is the worst part of the job. It's a tiny change that makes the whole process smoother.

blair9904d ago

Wait, you were using a putty knife for glue? That sounds like a nightmare. The brush spreads it so thin and even, there's barely anything to wipe up. I can't even picture trying to get a good coat with a stiff blade.