Question
I'm looking for recommendations for a cleaner I can cycle through my edgebander's gluepot to clean it. I recently pulled the gluepot apart and cleaned it, but would like to add this step also.
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor W:
There is a product out there. The advice I have gotten from a couple of different machine techs is not to use it. It works well as a cleaner but there is no way to effectively remove all of it from the pot once it is in there.
Not removing the cleaning product after cleaning will cause contamination of the fresh hotmelt glue and thus limit bonding qualities, glue color, etc.
There are no shortcuts to cleaning a glue system. The cleaner speeds the breakdown of the burnt, crusted hotmelt and thus speeds the process considerably. The most effective way to clean a glue system with the cleaner is to break the system apart and then when the components are clean, removal of the cleaner is quick and simple because you can access the entire pot.
Factors that can create premature cleaning:
1) Occasionally check each element to assure that all are working properly. If one or more elements are out, it causes the others to work overtime and thus "hotspots" are created and additional glue burn can happen.
2) PVC and wood veneer does not require the higher operating temperature of HPL or solid wood strips. Adjust the temperature up only when needed for special items and remember to adjust back down when using tapes.
3) Be sure to use the correct glue for the speed of the machine you are running. Different glues have different open times. When a glue that is designed to be used in a faster machine is used in a slower machine, the common fix is to increase the temperature to cause the glue to be open, or liquid, longer and glue burn is created.
The new glue systems require much less maintenance than the old, due to non-stick coatings, PLC controls, digital thermostats, etc. Normal cleanings have been reduced to 25% of just 10 years ago.
