Old-timer at the shop told me to stop using glue blocks on my face frames

I always put glue blocks behind every joint until a retired cabinetmaker named Hank watched me work for 5 minutes and said I was wasting time. He showed me that a tight domino and good clamping pressure does the same job without the extra wood. Has anyone else gotten advice that made you look back at your own methods like why did I do that for so long?

2 comments

2 Comments

ray_mitchell1mo ago

Wait, did Hank ever mention anything about the glue blocks actually causing issues with movement down the line? I feel like solid wood face frames expand and contract a bit, and those blocks might be trapping something that shouldn't be trapped.

jamie79429d ago

That line about "trapping something that shouldn't be trapped" hits close to home. I used to put biscuits in every miter joint until a guy named Pete told me I was basically gluing in stress points that would pop later. He showed me his method of just using tape and glue for miters and I swear I felt like an idiot for three years of overengineering simple things.