Glue station

[genek]

Does anyone have a home made glue applicator, I need to make one. I have reached a point that had rolling on glue is too slow.

Thanks

[Ajcoholic]

Gene,
You should look into a pressure fed glue pot. I bought a Lamello LK system, and have several different applicator ends for the handle. They have rollers, varying sizes for dowels, biscuits, for edge gluing wider stock, etc.

http://www.lamello.com/en/home/join-wood/glueing-system/glue-applicators.html

I spent about $1000 on the 5 litre pot (which takes a US gallon jug - drops right in) and half a dozen different nozzles. Me and my guys love it. For larger glue ups it is way faster and less messy that bottles, brushes etc and is always ready to go.

[donek]

How much laminating are you doing? I made a roll coater several years ago that just has a paint roller in a bath of wood glue. A 5 gallon bucket is inverted with top of the pull out spigot at the glue level. It auto fills as we drag boards across the roller and put them in a press. We will laminate up to 150 board feet in a single press cycle.

You can see it in action in this video at about 3:10
https://youtu.be/cX3u2m03dy8

[genek]

How much laminating are you doing? I made a roll coater several years ago that just has a paint roller in a bath of wood glue. A 5 gallon bucket is inverted with top of the pull out spigot at the glue level. It auto fills as we drag boards across the roller and put them in a press. We will laminate up to 150 board feet in a single press cycle.

You can see it in action in this video at about 3:10
https://youtu.be/cX3u2m03dy8
I got a large order for 12 by 15 horse head cutting boards. I am gluing up 16 x 48 blanks to cut the heads out of. My old bottle and roller is too slow. I need to turn out at least 16 blanks a day.

[donek]

I got a large order for 12 by 15 horse head cutting boards. I am gluing up 16 x 48 blanks to cut the heads out of. My old bottle and roller is too slow. I need to turn out at least 16 blanks a day.

I'm assuming you are gluing panels, not laminating blocks then. It would be pretty straight forward to take my concept and use a mini paint roller and 1 gallon glue jug. You simply mount the glue jug upside down with the mouth at the level you wish the glue to be. Mount the paint roller such that it is about 50% submerged in the glue. Drag your board over the roller and you've got a perfect glue application every time. We do thin the glue with water to get it a consistency that results in the right amount of glue applied to the board. We are shooting for a consistency similar to paint. I believe it's 1 to 1.5 gallons of water to every 5 gallons of glue.

[khaos]

I'm assuming you are gluing panels, not laminating blocks then. It would be pretty straight forward to take my concept and use a mini paint roller and 1 gallon glue jug. You simply mount the glue jug upside down with the mouth at the level you wish the glue to be. Mount the paint roller such that it is about 50% submerged in the glue. Drag your board over the roller and you've got a perfect glue application every time. We do thin the glue with water to get it a consistency that results in the right amount of glue applied to the board. We are shooting for a consistency similar to paint. I believe it's 1 to 1.5 gallons of water to every 5 gallons of glue.

Sean, this is a great invention! Do you have a drain in the bottom of your glue machine to return unused glue into a container? Or did you make a sealing lid over the roller?

off topic: I have often thought about making my own board but once I start thinking about the actual entire process it gets pricey for a one off. So I have fun watching you guys doing it. I have a ratty ol winterstick for the ruff and a burton for the corduroy. Powder you say? pfft. I am in the mid-atlantic we get big sugar or mashed potatoes. LOL.

Thanks for always sharing.

[donek]

Sean, this is a great invention! Do you have a drain in the bottom of your glue machine to return unused glue into a container? Or did you make a sealing lid over the roller?

off topic: I have often thought about making my own board but once I start thinking about the actual entire process it gets pricey for a one off. So I have fun watching you guys doing it. I have a ratty ol winterstick for the ruff and a burton for the corduroy. Powder you say? pfft. I am in the mid-atlantic we get big sugar or mashed potatoes. LOL.

Thanks for always sharing.

We never drain it. We just cover it with a thin piece of plastic that is resting on the glue. I think the last glue roller lasted more than 2 years, never being removed from the device. We just pull the glue jug and set it aside with the cover. There's probably a better way to cover it, but we've never bothered.

[genek]

could you send me a picture... so I can make one like it.