Ever leave a tight dovetailed box without glue or very small amount of glue?

[Don Morris]

I made a small (6"L x 2.5"T x 1/2"W) dovetailed box (Maple and African Rosewood) using a Keller 1601 template. Testing the first joint took several taps with a dead blow hammer to get it to place. Once fully seated it looks great and tight. Doesn't want to move easily. I created all the pins and tails at one time with the same setting of the height of router bit. Thus I expect the other joints will be like the first one tested. I'm now concerned even a thin layer of glue might be like the straw that broke the camels back. Anyone have a similar situation and left out the glue, or perhaps used just a "smidgin" of glue?

[Ron Citerone]

I say smidgen, but only at the bottom of the joint, so it doesn't prevent it going down tight to the bottom.

[Derek Cohen]

You may find that glue - especially hide glue - will lubricate the joint and make it easier to push together.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rich Engelhardt]

"Glue" doesn't have to be thick and it also doesn't have to have water in it that will cause wood to swell.

I often use paint, varnish &/or shellac as an adhesive. Just think back to the last time you struggled with the painted on lid on a can of paint if you doubt the strength of that type of material.

[Don Morris]

Great suggestions and help. I don't have any hide glue on hand. Been meaning to try it. Local Woodworkers club has some, but the roads here today are iffy. May be a couple days before I get some. If they're out, I'll use some shellac I have that's still good...paint some on the bottom. Thanks to all for taking time to answer my question.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Old Brown Glue can be shipped. To make it thinner, try heating it just a tad, like to 100-120°, and you can also try adding just a smidge of water like a few drops on a piece of scrap with the glue before brushing it on.

[andrew whicker]

Great suggestions and help. I don't have any hide glue on hand. Been meaning to try it. Local Woodworkers club has some, but the roads here today are iffy. May be a couple days before I get some. If they're out, I'll use some shellac I have that's still good...paint some on the bottom. Thanks to all for taking time to answer my question.

Hide glue is worth using for the smell alone. : )


I like the idea of using a non adhesive for an adhesive... guess you only stiction after all.

[Michael Burnside]

I'm literally blown away with the ideas in this thread. I mean Hyde glue is on my list of glues to try based on a recent discussion, but Rich's suggestions were super clever!

[Richard Coers]

Wood moves every season. A joint left dry will not always be snug. I used to use a thin piece of wood like a squeegee to apply a very thin layer of glue, now I use a flat silicone glue applicator. BUT, I won't make the dovetail any tighter than takes more than a single tap to get it together. If you have to hammer the joint, it's too tight for glue.

[Jimmy Harris]

Look up Horyuji Temple in Nara, Japan. It's the oldest wooden structure still standing in the world. They have a 5-story tall pagoda there that was built sometime around the year 600 A.D. And Japan sees a bunch of earthquakes since then. All made without nails, screws, or glue. And it still looks great, and will last at least another 700 years, so they say.

So yeah, done right, you don't need wood glue to make something that will last.

[Michael Burnside]

I've actually seen the temple in person. It's a marvel. I'm not that good, I need glue....lots of glue.

[Andrew Hughes]

My secret trick for tight Dovetails is to pare a slight hollow on the pin board.
It helps with gluing and crooked hand sawing. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for router cut on a fixture. I also make cauls for clamping if the glue up is big and summer time temps. Thats when tight joints are a problem for me.
Good Luck

[al ladd]

Gorilla Glue (or any PU) also works as a lubricant for assembly of very tight joints.

My signature jewelry box joint for many years has been a butterfly splined miter. The tolerances are very very tight, and since the grain runs the way it's supposed to, the 4-6" long splines are a bit like slightly flexible pasta, and difficult to pound in without PU glue lubrication.

My wife once put a few boxes together without bothering to put glue on the actual mitered surfaces. The boxes seemed quite strong, but we spent awhile dripping CA from every angle we could to get
some more glue into the joints. You could probably do something similar with tight conventional dovetails and it would work well.

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