Using glue with Dominoed cabinets

[KevinHanna]

Hello,

When I build cabinets with my Domino, I of course glue the mortice and Domino, but I also apply glue to the edge of the ply.  Does this add much strength?  Seems to me the veneer peels off relatively easily, if I'm just glueing some end grain and some cross grain plies to the veneer I'm not adding much strength to the case, and I always manage to create some squeeze out in the process.

Simple enough I guess to test it out myself, but I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[panelchat]

I've never used a domino, but coming from using biscuits for cases, it seems the original Lamello concept was to glue only the biscuit (I could be wrong here, but their glueing products are specific to applying glue just into the slot...) When I first started working in cabinetmaking I remember a lot of us were gluing the edges as well, but now nobody I know bothers anymore. Lots of time lost cleaning squeezeout, etc, without much real structural advantage.

Others here will know more about this topic tho...

 

[semenza]

I always glue the edges  with when using the Dominos.  But I never thought about not glueing the edges? Hmmmmmm.

Seth

 

[Tinker]

What about bread board edges?  Don't you glue only at the center of the end boards?
Tinker

 

[UncleJoe]

Never thought about it but it has me thinking. I will be watching this thread to learn more from others. It does make sense to me. Hmmm???

 

[semenza]

As for the general  thinking on the glue adhering to the veneer layer, and  maybe not being all that strong because the veneer layer may pull free.......... whenever I have used just glue for a test piece or whatever (a couple small pieces of plywood glued perpendicular), I have been unable to break it apart barring the use of a hammer.  In a cabinet box I don't think there would be enough force from anything to cause failure in normal use. So my feeling is that glueing the edges adds cosiderable strength.    Wether or not it is necessary? Maybe, maybe not.

I do think that glueing the edges helps keep the entire edge tight and sealed so that no gaps will open up.

Though there is squeeze out to deal with , I don't find that to be too big a problem using a tan  glue on prefinished plywood. Wipe the inside corners well and any remaining pretty much disappears.

Seth

 

[bruegf]

I prefinish panels before gluing, glue both dominos and edges, but glue cleanup is easy with finish already on the panels.  Downside is I have to mask off the edge joint surfaces before spraying the finish.

Fred

 

[panelchat]

I've tried that prefinish method a little and found it to work great as well and did not take much extra time.

I should have clarified my thoughts above, that it seems unnecessary to glue edges for cabinets specifically, as you have many joints around the box, plus a back, cooperating in the structure, plus any firm installation to walls, floors, and adjacent cabinets, as well. Certainly some other types of joints do benefit from edge glue.

(Typical high end factory cabinets from Italy, Germany, or wherever, used in $100k kitchens are just dowel assembly with no edge adhesion going on)