Looking for gluing and clamping strategies for my project

[tmhudg]

Hi All,

I'm a relatively new woodworker and I'd like some advice/suggestions on how best to assemble a bookshelf I'm making (see attached picture).

The top and bottom shelves will be fastened with pocket hole screws while the center shelf will be on adjustable pins. My plan was to assemble this face down on the floor so that I can keep the front side flush during the process. I'm wrestling with the best way to clamp the inner vertical panels while gluing. Obviously, I can get a clamp on the up-side but not on the side that is on the floor. I could turn the whole thing on its top, supported by blocks to get it off the floor and then I could get clamps on both sides of the vertical panels but I feel like this would be unstable.

I can think of various other ways but they all seem to have a drawback here or there so I figured I would ask the collective for advice.

[Vyrolan]

Lay it on its front like you planned...clamp from back, drive your pocket screws...then flip it up and add clamps to the front. If you're quick about it (and/or use a glue with a longer open time), you should have no problem getting it done in time to flip it over and add the front side clamps. 

[Eric.]

Gluing large units like that are naturally awkward.  I wouldn't lay it on its face because that's the best way to screw things up...you can't see what's happening at the joints in the front of the case...which is where they're most important visually.  If two parts slip past each other by 1/16" you won't know until it's too late.  Perhaps if you had a large torsion box assembly table, but not the garage floor...not nearly flat enough to do anything but cause you grief.

Instead, I would assemble with the unit standing up and facing me...one joint at a time.  The fact that you're using pocket screws makes the clamping less critical.  Take two parts, add glue, use a clamp and a square or 90* clamping squares to get everything aligned, then pop your screws in.  Give it thirty minutes and move to the next section.  I wouldn't try to glue that whole thing at once...maybe with epoxy but certainly not with wood glue.

[TerryMcK]

+1 on what Eric says. Also don't panic. The biggest cause of headaches during a glue up is glueing a part the wrong way around because thinking about the glue drying makes you rush. Slow down, assemble it in a vertical orientation and take care. If you can get some Rockler plastic clamping squares that will help too.

[Rapid Roger]

You don't say how big it is but, it can be done. It isn't easy and you have to pay attention to what you are doing.

I used dados instead of pocket screws so that may have helped and I didn't have any adjustable shelves to contend with.

 

 

 

 

This was a job for an antique bottle collector a few years back.

 

Rog

[Trip]

While a bit expensive, these help things along quite nicely...

http://www.woodpeck.com/boxclampm2.html

 

LHG gives you about 30 minutes working time...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YXE7K?keywords=liquid hide&qid=1444748689&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

 

 

or for a little more time...

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2032&familyName=WEST+System+207+Special+Clear+Hardener

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=3760&familyName=WEST+System+105+Epoxy+Resin

207 gives you about 35 minutes working time...

 

or if you're really worried..

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2033&familyName=WEST+System+209+Tropical+Hardeners

209 gives you almost an hour of working time...

 

Slow-set adhesives plus a small sacrifice to the assembly gods will help reduce stress...

[ChrisG-Canada]

When I'm worried about a complicated glue-up I try to break the job into two or more stages. I find that often the whole complete project doesn't need to be assembled all at once. 

It's not necessarily the most efficient process but for me perfection (or close to it) is better than speed.

[wdwerker]

Like most of the others I say build the center section first.

[tmhudg]

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I do appreciate the input.

I wouldn't lay it on its face because that's the best way to screw things up...you can't see what's happening at the joints in the front of the case...which is where they're most important visually.

Yeah, I was a little concerned about having the front face hidden on the floor and not being able to see it for alignment. You've convinced me that this is a valid concern.

 

While a bit expensive, these help things along quite nicely...

http://www.woodpeck.com/boxclampm2.html

Yowza! Those are cool looking but yeah, just a tad expensive!

 

Like most of the others I say build the center section first.

Hmm, I'm not sure I saw where anyone else said that but I was thinking that assembling the outer panels first would be best.

Regarding the suggestions to build it with it standing up; I'm still unsure how I would go about clamping the inside vertical panels to the top. Assuming I could get the thing to stand up without racking to one side or the other (maybe by doing the outside panels on the ground (face up) first), how would I clamp the inside panels into the top dado? I guess I could build the inside "box" separately and then use the top shelf as a clamp spot to pull it up. Would the pocket hole screws withstand clamping pressure for that?

Frankly, it seems like it's just going to come down to figuring something out - which is kinda what I figured. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something dumb and I'm glad I checked! Thanks for the help and insight.

I was thinking that I could put it on the floor face-up and glue and clamp the two outer panels. Once that dried I would have a relatively stable piece that I could stand up and it wouldn't rack (hopefully?). That's the biggest problem I see with assembling it standing up - it seems like it would be really unstable.  Although,

[Coop]

Rog, great looking cabinet.

[wtnhighlander]

Cut yourself some L-shaped clamping brackets. Use them with short clamps on the inside corners to hold the sides & inner vertical members upright while you assemble the top.

[Rapid Roger]

Rog, great looking cabinet.

Thanks for the nice comment Coop.

tmhudg,

If you look closely at my pictures you will see that I started from the center and worked my way out to the outer sides one section at a time. Also notice all of the various clamping points and squaring items that I used as I went. It wasn't all put together in one day and there were a lot of measuring and checking going on constantly one layer at a time.

The top and bottom were next to the last thing to go on, the back was the last piece. (For the right amount of money, I'll tell you how I knew where to put brads in from the back to hold everything together... no glue  )

 

Rog