Hi all,
So this seems like it shouldn't be too tough, but since I've spent the last 2 years slowly getting all the panels cut and routed for these cabinets I want to make sure I'm not going to screw it up by missing something important.
Anyway, I've got all the panels set a pair of cabinets. These are stand mounted 3 ways. Wood is 1" thick MDF. All joints are rabbetted. I've test fit both cabinets and all the pieces fit together with no visible gaps other than the interior wall that will separate the woofer volume from the crossover compartment. The interior piece has rabbets cut into it as well as dado's on the mating exterior walls, so there's no gaps that go all the way through.
My plan was to get some Titebond II or III for these. I will try it on a couple of scraps but from what I've read, it sounds like a safe bet. After they go together, I might get some Loctite PL to fill in the gaps on the interior wall if it looks like it's necessary I wasn't planning on any further surface treatment such as sanding the joints before glueing together. Is this a bad idea? I was just going to vaccuum off/brush off all surfaces before glueing. From what I can see, I should apply the glue to each mating surface and immediately put the pieces together. There's no need to let the glue get a little tacky before joining the pieces, is that right?
Because of the rabbets, all the pieces align pretty well. I wasn't planning to use any nails or screws to hold the cabinets together, just clamps until the glue dries.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
thanks,
Dan
So this seems like it shouldn't be too tough, but since I've spent the last 2 years slowly getting all the panels cut and routed for these cabinets I want to make sure I'm not going to screw it up by missing something important.
Anyway, I've got all the panels set a pair of cabinets. These are stand mounted 3 ways. Wood is 1" thick MDF. All joints are rabbetted. I've test fit both cabinets and all the pieces fit together with no visible gaps other than the interior wall that will separate the woofer volume from the crossover compartment. The interior piece has rabbets cut into it as well as dado's on the mating exterior walls, so there's no gaps that go all the way through.
My plan was to get some Titebond II or III for these. I will try it on a couple of scraps but from what I've read, it sounds like a safe bet. After they go together, I might get some Loctite PL to fill in the gaps on the interior wall if it looks like it's necessary I wasn't planning on any further surface treatment such as sanding the joints before glueing together. Is this a bad idea? I was just going to vaccuum off/brush off all surfaces before glueing. From what I can see, I should apply the glue to each mating surface and immediately put the pieces together. There's no need to let the glue get a little tacky before joining the pieces, is that right?
Because of the rabbets, all the pieces align pretty well. I wasn't planning to use any nails or screws to hold the cabinets together, just clamps until the glue dries.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
thanks,
Dan
Tightbond is great stuff. I used it on high quality ply for my Pensil 10p speaker and the pair of smaller speakers I am making now out of 3/4 MDF. What I do is to spread it on and cover all the surface to be glued. Clamp lightly, triple check alignments, then slowly tighten clamps. Wipe oozing glue with a damp paper towel. Good luck.
Thanks for the reply crcook. Glueing the cabinets together went well. It was surprisingly tough for me to get all the pieces together and clamped before the 10 minute "closed assembly time" was up for the titebond 2. I think I took too long spreading glue on each pieces since I was working in our finished basement and was trying not to get glue on the floor. The garage in the summer where I don't have too worry as much about being messy is probably a better spot to do it. Never the less, the turned our fine and feel very solid.
Dan
Dan
This topic has been discussed before !
just a reminder:
the end grain of MDF does not glue well.
You need to take account of this weak bond wherever the end grain is attached to another surface.
Screws and/or nails inserted into the end gain will split the board.
You must predrill a pilot hole.
That MDF end grain pilot hole generally needs to be (slightly) bigger than the equivalent pilot hole drilled into other timber boards.
To get sufficient "grip" you generally need to use MUCH longer screws into the end grain, than for other timber boards.
just a reminder:
the end grain of MDF does not glue well.
You need to take account of this weak bond wherever the end grain is attached to another surface.
Screws and/or nails inserted into the end gain will split the board.
You must predrill a pilot hole.
That MDF end grain pilot hole generally needs to be (slightly) bigger than the equivalent pilot hole drilled into other timber boards.
To get sufficient "grip" you generally need to use MUCH longer screws into the end grain, than for other timber boards.
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