confused about enclosure

[Branden2202 0]

I have my 3/4 thick mdf cut. Took me about 3 hours just to cut it. The only thing im confused about is putting 2 pieces of wood together. Would i have to apply wood glue to the 2 pieces, attach them together, and wait till it dries, then predrill, then screw? Im really confused. This is my first box. I dont want the edges to crack.

[ssh 924]

I have my 3/4 thick mdf cut. Took me about 3 hours just to cut it. The only thing im confused about is putting 2 pieces of wood together. Would i have to apply wood glue to the 2 pieces, attach them together, and wait till it dries, then predrill, then screw? Im really confused. This is my first box. I dont want the edges to crack.

I would apply glue to both sides of wood, attach together using clamps then predrill and screw. I wouldn't wait for the glue to dry then screw...

just my two cents.

[kirill007 52]

Why would you clamp and then screw?

Srewing it together is only if u don't have clamps that are big enough.

Screws make the wood weaker, predrill first if u don't have clamps and then put glue on it and then screw it together.

[slim2fattycake 85]

I clamp and then screw as well and then move onto the next sides. I don't have enough clamps to hold a whole box together. I only do 1-4 screws depending on length of the panel.

[Jay-C76 333]

Not fueling the fire again but,

I glue, clamp, and screw each and every panel...

Never once had a blow out...

Just make sure the surfaces are clean before you apply the glue.

The dust left over from cutting will weaken the glue joint.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

Pre-drill, glue, screw

[altoncustomtech 773]

Pre-drill, glue, screw

^This^

Before I got my nailer I would use my two small clamps to get the fit I wanted, then pre-drill and countersink the wood. Then remove the clamps, apply the glue, then put it back together with the clamps to help hold it until the first few screws were in. Never had a problem doing it that way for many years.

[Cant Get Enough 6]

As a carpenters son I was taught to glue the joint all the way then predrill and screw one screw at a time. If you try to predrill all the holes at once they can shift and by the time you put your last screws in, the wood could bind and crack.

Always screw with wet glue and when the glue oozes out you know it's drawn and since the glue hasn't binded yet it will dry in it's proper place making a much stronger joint. Most likely it will be air tight and you'll only need silicone for reassurance.

Edited August 16, 2010 by Cant Get Enough

[Branden2202 0]

i got it. it wasent that hard, but at first i thought it was. What i did was pre drill one corner and the other, the right and left side, then i would apply glue, put back the sheet of mdf back then drill 2 screws on the left and right side. Then i would do the middle since it is now secure

[Impious 1,476]

The screws are only there to act as a "clamp" and hold the two pieces of wood together until the glue dries. The glue is the actual bonding agent and strength of the seam, not the screws.

Just an FYI.

[The enD 467]

The screws are only there to act as a "clamp" and hold the two pieces of wood together until the glue dries. The glue is the actual bonding agent and strength of the seam, not the screws.

Just an FYI.

+1 to that.

After trying to separate two glued pieces of plywood I won't put any screws on my box. It just looks better without any screws and holes... Not the mention the time and money you spend on it.

If glued properly it is so strong that the wood will break before the bond itself.

But if you don't have big enough clamps or hurry to finish the whole box, you can go with screws too.

[jcarter1885 995]

The screws are only there to act as a "clamp" and hold the two pieces of wood together until the glue dries. The glue is the actual bonding agent and strength of the seam, not the screws.

Just an FYI.

+1 to that.

After trying to separate two glued pieces of plywood I won't put any screws on my box. It just looks better without any screws and holes... Not the mention the time and money you spend on it.

If glued properly it is so strong that the wood will break before the bond itself.

But if you don't have big enough clamps or hurry to finish the whole box, you can go with screws too.

Definitely at your avatar.