Gluing a panel in?

[Wade Lippman]

I am building a serving tray, similar to http://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Hollow-Unfinished-Serving-15-inch/dp/B000YQGQVC/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1405877648&sr=1-4
There isn't much to hold it together at the corners; I am replacing one that blew apart. (not mine...)

The bottom panel is plywood, inserted in slots all around. Any reason I can't glue it in? That should give a bit more structural integrity.

[glenn bradley]

The majority of the movement in your solid parts should be "top to bottom" using the orientation in the picture. If you rabbet or finger-joint those corner joints they should be plenty strong. I use a drawer-lock joints on pantry pullouts that are made similarly. I glue the bottom panel only at the mid-point of each side/front/back just to avoid rattle. In short; better corner joinery would be my preference over gluing around the outer edge of the bottom panel. Others will have other opinions, of course.

293399

This pic has the grain running the other way as it was just a test piece but, you get the idea.

[John T Barker]

If the rest of the piece is strong the extra strength shouldn't be needed but that being said there is no wood movement issue I can think of that should prohibit you from gluing it.

[David C. Roseman]

If the rest of the piece is strong the extra strength shouldn't be needed but that being said there is no wood movement issue I can think of that should prohibit you from gluing it.

+1 on this. But you could also hedge your bet by using a dob of flexible silicone adhesive (or similar) in the dado slots an inch or so from each corner. Not enough to get squeeze-out, of course.

Wade, nice looking design, BTW.

David

[Lee Schierer]

Any end grain to face grain joint is inherently weak. Use a rabbet, dovetail, locking rabbet, or finger joints for better strength.

[John TenEyck]

No reason at all. By all means, glue it in. It will add a lot of strength to the assembly. Lock rabbet joints would be better than what's shown in the picture, finger joints much better still and also very striking.

John

[Duane Meadows]

+2 with John. Also agree with Lee, reinforce those joints, but gluing the panel should strengthen things quite a bit. Do both and it should be indestructible!