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How to Get Super Glue Off Wood

One of the hardest glues to remove is super glue. This remarkable adhesive is in fact designed to provide good adhesion for a variety of materials including wood, leather, ceramic, glass, plastics and more.

Super glue is a blessing for craft makers and people who just want to repair broken items. However, it is a pain to remove on wood.

If you are not careful, you will end up tearing the outer portion of your wood and not just the stain. It can even stick to the skin and be very hard and painful to remove. This guide will show you how to remove super glue safely and effectively.

Removing super glue from wood

Wood surfaces present a unique challenge when removing super glue because wood is naturally porous and can soak up acetone, causing permanent staining and ugly discoloration.

This is why you need to be careful when applying any solvent to wood surfaces, as they can permanently stain or destroy wood which makes these worse than super glue. The following techniques can help deal with super glue

1) Apply acetone in small repeated doses

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Nail-Pure-Acetone-fl/dp/B009SDJQCI

Use acetone but apply only in small, repeated doses. Cut the intensity of your acetone by mixing it with water. Use cotton balls so that you can control the amount of alcohol that comes in contact with the delicate surfaces of wood. This method is slow and steady therefore you cannot expect super glue to loosen fast.

Wait a moment for the mixture to work and then with a dry cloth. Wipe up any excess acetone mixture. Use a new cotton ball with a fresh dose of acetone and water and apply to the affected surface again.

Once the glue does begin to soften, wedge a small edge like a chisel or a spatula between the glue that is slowly loosening and the wood. Most likely glue will lift off but will leave behind a small amount of residue. If the surface is unpainted, use oils to lift the glue and wipe away residue.

2) Using controlled impacts on the glue

Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/woodworking/wood-joints/how-to-glue-wood/view-all/

Most of the time, super glue drips or spills onto wood, the actual shape of the hardened glue can be quite thick. This is a good thing because you can easily remove this with a tool.

Moisten the super glue with a very small amount of acetone or water and when as soon as the glue softens, tap it loose with a flat hammerhead. This will loosen or stress the super glue so that it can let go. Repeat the process but be careful to prevent permanent damage to your tabletop.

3) Add the WD-40 or dishwasher soap

Source: http://funnyand.com/30-ways-to-use-wd-40-that-youve-probably-never-thought-of/

This is a good technique for wood surfaces that won’t actually be seen. Add a small amount of WD-40 or dishwashing liquid to acetone to remove super glue on wood. It can cause discoloration on wood but this is okay especially if you are restoring or regluing the edges of the wood anyway.

4) Residual super glue cleanup

After the bulk of the super glue has been removed try to get remnant imprints from the wood’s surface with more acetone. Take note that you will only be removing the glue’s residue and not the glue itself. There is a huge chance that acetone will come into contact with more of the wood. Therefore you must work carefully.

Whether you’re able to remove all stains and residue, wash out a varnished or oiled tabletop by adding sealant to a rag and rubbing it in. The oils will wash into the wood and can hide the stain. You can use mineral oil on surfaces that have not been painted.

This oil will assist in the discovery of varnished items. All you need to do is to rub the oils thoroughly. Use a good even coat and let it dry completely. The surface of the wood will be able to back to normal in just 24 hours.

Conclusion

Super glue is one of the most complicated adhesives that can stick to wood and be very hard to remove. But with the right techniques and patience, you will be able to remove super glue and its remnants and protect your wood as well.