Just realized I've been using the wrong glue for my face frames for years

I was putting together a maple face frame last week and noticed a tiny gap after clamping. My buddy Mike came by and asked why I was using regular wood glue instead of a slow-set type. He said, 'That stuff grabs too fast, you can't get a perfect fit.' I switched to Titebond Extend for the next one and the joints closed up tight with no stress. Anyone else have a glue tip that fixed a basic problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_craig588d ago

Mike's advice about slow glue sounds like overkill to me. I've used regular wood glue on maple face frames for a decade with zero gaps. The trick is just to get your clamps on fast and make sure your cuts are right. If you're getting a gap, the glue type is probably not your real problem. Maybe your joint just wasn't cut square enough to begin with? Why fix something that isn't broken?

anthonyhunt8d ago

Yeah, the "get your clamps on fast" method works until it doesn't. A buddy of mine was building cabinets for his kitchen with maple, same as you @luna_craig58, and swore by his quick routine. Then one really humid summer day, he was doing a bigger face frame assembly and the regular glue set up before he could get the last clamp fully tight. Ended up with a hairline gap that drove him nuts. He switched to a slower glue for anything more than a simple joint after that. Sometimes the material and the weather work against you, even with perfect cuts.