Todd:

If I am using an oil-based finish, I will use paste wax. Minwax Finishing
Wax to be exact. I dry-assemble the pieces and rub the wax along any
squeeze-out location. Then glue/clamp as usual. Glue pops off pretty easily.
The solvents in the finish seem to do a fine job of spreading the tiny bit
of wax around. If you put gobs on, I could anticipate problems, perhaps a
few minutes with some mineral spirits. I've not had any problems. My
finishes are home-brew tung oil and/or linseed oil, poly and mineral
spirits. Wipe on and off. I almost never use stain.

"Todd Fatheree" wrote in message
...
"Phyloe" wrote in message
...
I am new at woodworking. I was working on a small project where I was
gluing 1/8" x 3/4" strips of wood to some boards and then planned to
stain
the whole thing. I had some glue squish out and used a wet clothe to wipe
that off. It looked fine until I stained it and then I found the glue had
not wiped off completely and soaked into the wood and would not take
stain.
I was using pine and a dark stain so the glue spots showed up like pale
yellow smears along the strips. I tried using a very modest amount of
glue
but it still squished out when I used clamps. How can I avoid this
problem
on future projects?
Phyloe

Glue squeezeout is a fact of life. There are opinions on both sides of
this, but I don't like using water to clean up glue. The thought is that
when you're cleaning up the glue with water, you're actually leaving a
coating of diluted glue on the surface. What I do is wait for the glue to
get about half-set, then use a chisel to peel the glue off the surface.
If
you let the glue fully harden, it will be hell getting it off the wood and
you will likely take wood with you. Another option that I seem to have
limited success with is taping off the areas likely to be affected with
painter's masking tape.

todd