How to glue

[Joe McMahon]

I have been building an armoire for the past several years. I have the basic carcass and just need to make drawers and a door.

I noticed today that the sides are bowing out slightly. The two horizontal cross pieces edges have separated from the side dados they had been glued into. There is about a 1/8” gap.

how can I get glue down inside between the horizontal edges and the dados? If I could get glue in, I could clamp the sides and get rid of the bow

[Kevin Jenness]

A picture would help. A syringe may be useful, perhaps in conjunction with a small drilled hole.

Is this a butt joint with end grain meeting side grain? In that case, you may need to add a mechanical fastener (screw, nail, dowel) to keep things together.

[Richard Coers]

First I would investigate what went wrong. Wood rarely just bows once it's built into a structure. You don't have any cross grain construction, or combination of plywood and hardwood? Was it glued up sitting there and the glue joints broke? New glue won't stick to old glue, it needs fresh wood. Dado construction offers very little long grain glue area, so not too strong.

[Jim Becker]

Syringe to help get the glue in there and maybe a little compressed air to push it deeper. Then clamp.

[Joe McMahon]

Syringe to help get the glue in there and maybe a little compressed air to push it deeper. Then clamp.

I’ll try this. Thanks

[Jim Becker]

See if you can lay it down so gravity also helps you push that glue down, too. Use a longer open time glue if you can to take advantage of the time.

[Jim Dwight]

I would probably use epoxy.

[Joe McMahon]

See if you can lay it down so gravity also helps you push that glue down, too. Use a longer open time glue if you can to take advantage of the time.

great idea using gravity! Thanks

[Mark W Pugh]

I would probably use epoxy.

This. Depending on the epoxy, it will fill in, or sink in to gap easily.

Have acetone ready for clean up when it squeezes out. I believe DNA may also work. Check the directions.

[Jim Becker]

Have acetone ready for clean up when it squeezes out. I believe DNA may also work. Check the directions.

White vinegar...