[Arran]

Bob;
One trick I used to use whilst gluing down veneer was to wrap the wooden block with saran warp or a plastic bag, like an old bread bag, but I was also using yellow glue so I'm not sure if hide glue will stick to the plastic or not. The excess glue would come off with warm water and either a stiff brush, or one of those nylon scrubbing pads.
Regards
Arran