| Blog series by Rich | updated 10-02-2019 12:57 AM | 4 parts | 5300 reads | 11 comments total |
Part 1: Hide Glue Fluorescence
An interesting feature of hide glue is that it fluoresces under UV light. Most glues fluoresce to a certain degree, but hide glue really stands out. It’s a great thing to have in your bag of tricks when you’re cleaning off glue from joints, etc. Hide glue washes clean in warm water very easily. Unlike synthetic glues, you can even clean it off long after it’s hardened. One frustrating thing for me has been that its neutral color, a real benefit in woodworking, makes i...
Part 2: Finding Flaws in Finish
Another thing that conveniently fluoresces in the shop is finish. Most finishes I’ve tested fluoresce to some extent — some more than others. Shellac, for example, glows a bright orange. Oil based products exhibit different shades of yellow-green, and waterborne products have a slight bluish hue to them. The real significance of the effect is that it varies with the thickness of the finish on the surface. This allows you to quickly locate flaws in the finish very easily. These are...
Part 3: Titebond II Fluorescent to the Rescue
NOTE: Since writing this blog entry I’ve experimented with mixing Titebond II Fluorescent with plain Titebond II and found that it still glows quite brightly under UV light. Since the fluorescent product costs more I now mix it 50/50 with regular Titebond II. ————————————————————————————————&#...
Part 4: Fluorescent Lumber Crayons
I use lumber crayons for all sorts of marking on my work, from carpenter’s triangles, to arrows showing which way is up, to simple marks that indicate which edge has been jointed so I know to put that one against the fence when I rip to size on the table saw. I make all sorts of other notes on the boards as well such as which is the hinge stile and which is the center. Even just labeling parts so there are no mistakes when I do the glue up for doors, etc… and on and on. Altho...
