Thread: Box Joints on Small Table

I suggest getting a helper to firstly assist in a dry run to ensure you have enough clamps and know where they are going to be placed with respect to scrap bits of timber under the clamps, but not on the glue line. Find a nice flat assembly surface, probably with newspaper to protect the surface of the table and your job. Have a way of checking for squareness, then both of you put the glue on the faces of each finger (not the edges, as the glue will get wiped off when you slide the joint into position).
A small paint brush or an ice-cream stick can be handy to spread the glue.
Some quick hands to assemble the carcass, then make sure all joints are pulled up when applying the clamps. A final check with a square and you shouldn't have any dramas.
There are a variety of setting times for PVA, it is worthwhile having both quick-set and normal type at your disposal. There is no need for quick-set with this job. I use the quick-set type when making jigs and segmented work.
Good luck with your project, post a photo or two so we can see how you went.

Alan...

I would be thinking about doing it in stages, setup as per Uncle Al with dry run and clamps etc. but instead of doing all four corners at once do one corner per pair of boards, this allows you to concentrate on just one corner at a time and get it right, then repeat for another pair of boards, make sure you have each corner marked so you know what goes where, the two 90° sections are then glued to the two remaining corners forming your box, reinforce (temporarily/permanently) the previously made corners if theres any doubt about over-stressing those corners during the next stage clueup.



Pete

Thanks Alan and Pete,
I'll give it a shot and let you know how things turn out.
Cheers,
Bruce. (Will post pics when complete.

Originally Posted by Uncle Al

I suggest getting a helper to firstly assist in a dry run to ensure you have enough clamps and know where they are going to be placed with respect to scrap bits of timber under the clamps, but not on the glue line. Find a nice flat assembly surface, probably with newspaper to protect the surface of the table and your job. Have a way of checking for squareness, then both of you put the glue on the faces of each finger (not the edges, as the glue will get wiped off when you slide the joint into position).
A small paint brush or an ice-cream stick can be handy to spread the glue.
Some quick hands to assemble the carcass, then make sure all joints are pulled up when applying the clamps. A final check with a square and you shouldn't have any dramas.
There are a variety of setting times for PVA, it is worthwhile having both quick-set and normal type at your disposal. There is no need for quick-set with this job. I use the quick-set type when making jigs and segmented work.
Good luck with your project, post a photo or two so we can see how you went.

Alan...

Originally Posted by pjt

I would be thinking about doing it in stages, setup as per Uncle Al with dry run and clamps etc. but instead of doing all four corners at once do one corner per pair of boards, this allows you to concentrate on just one corner at a time and get it right, then repeat for another pair of boards, make sure you have each corner marked so you know what goes where, the two 90° sections are then glued to the two remaining corners forming your box, reinforce (temporarily/permanently) the previously made corners if theres any doubt about over-stressing those corners during the next stage clueup.

Pete

what they said.

I suggest a jig to hold the first two corners square while the glue sets
alternately when gluing the first corner, dry assemble the other three corners, then glue the diagonally opposite corner
you now only have to glue two diagonally opposite corners which should go together square.