How Do You Glue A Dovetail Joint?
A well made dovetail joint is a testament to a furniture maker’s skill, because of both its beauty and its strength. However, in order to get the maximum holding power from a dovetail joint, you have to glue it. So take that extra step and create a dovetail joint that will stand the test of time. Make clamping blocks. When clamping a dovetail joint, it’s essential that you put pressure on the faces of the tails. Otherwise, no matter how tight you clamp it, you may only be putting pressure on the ends of the pins. To ensure that you’re clamping the right way, take a block of scrap wood a little longer than your joint is wide and a little wider than the width of the joint and cut notches in it that correspond with the location of the pins. Hold the block over the joint; it should rest only on the faces of the tails. Make enough blocks for each joint. Dry fit the dovetail joint together to test the fit. This is the time to check for any cracks in the wood caused by too tight a fit between
