Anything to dissolve yellow wood glue?

[Amphiprion]

I have a table saw on long-term loan from a friend while he is working out of state. It's basically table-top unit with an added stand, all-aluminum table top, direct drive affair. He hasn't been too careful with it and it looks like he's glued up a fair number of projects using it as a table - lots of dried glue spots on the aluminum top - makes for things not sliding so easy. I'd like to try and clean it up for him since he's been nice enough to lend it to us (and it's plenty good for rough-cut work as is, I've gotten a fair amount of use out of it and the fence is surprisingly accurate from what I would have expected). Anyway, is there any easy way to get dried yellow wood glue off without gouging the surface? Thanks!

[nox9colt45]

Some sort of a chissel should work ok. I've used a flat head screw driver before, but it wasnt competly hardened yet.

[ThomasW]

Any chemicals strong enough to put a dent in the glue might be problematic for the aluminum...I'd gently scrape the surface with a new single edge razor blade and let it go at that....

[JohnL]

I have done the exact same thing (but it was my table saw ). I used a sharp razor blade and then hit it with some fine sand paper, good as new. You might need to sand the whole top.

[cjd]

If it's an aluminum top, it may be anodized or powder coated, and that treatment should not be scratched or gouged or it loses the slippery.

Try heat (heat gun, not torch) and "chisels" made of hardwood. No idea how it will work though.

C

[RobP]

Try Vinegar and really hot water, that should loosen it up.

[Paul W]

Try soaking a rag or paper towels in water and apply overnight...wipe the glue off the next day. Use a piece of Saran wrap or similar over top of the towel to keep the surface wet. Works well and no scratches or dings.

[sokoban]

Sweet, something I can actually help with!

Yellow Wood Glue is Polyvinyl Acetate. Acetone works really well. Vodka might work in a pinch if you don't want to go through the fumes and such associated with acetone.

[cjd]

If you go acetone, MAKE SURE you are in a very well ventilated space.

A colleague of mine started using it with colored pencil illustrations - in only 15 months of use he developed significant problems - enough that he had to be wary, though not so bad he couldn't wear the respirator, gloves, have lots of ventilation, and still work in the technique he had developed.

C

[Amphiprion]

I am always very careful with chemicals, I made the mistake of using undiluted muriatic acid to clean up a very dirty old saltwater fish tank. The fumes filled the driveway and yard. I could smell it which meant some must have been getting in my lungs. Very very bad, never again.