I used to be a wiper – all the time. When I had glue squeeze out, I’d grab a wet paper towel and wipe it off. I’ve always been a minimalist when it comes to glue, trying to apply just enough. I also don’t over tighten my clamps so I don’t have to worry about starving the joint of glue.
But honestly, I’ve grown tired of having to go through the additional steps of scraping and checking, and re-checking for any glue spots on a joint (I apply acetone when in doubt – you should try it) on projects I plan to stain. I always liked to think I was careful enough to not drag the glue across the wood when wiping, and therefore helping it embed in the grain, but…
So now, unless I’m painting a project, I don’t touch the glue until it has set up a bit. I can’t honestly tell you the magic time for this, but you don’t want the glue to harden for a day or you’ll have a heck of a time getting the glue off.
Most of the time I use a 1/4-inch chisel to knock off the smaller beads of glue. Larger beads warrant a wider chisel, a paint scraper that I’ve sharpened the edge, or a card scraper. Be careful when scraping that you don’t gouge the wood or you’ll add even more work to your project.
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