My glue up is not square, ugh. Fixable?

[Dan Baginski]

This was a pretty complicated glue up and I had to work very quickly. I built an entertainment center. The sides are not square to the bottom. I have two stiles/rails at the bottom that attach to the sides via mortis and tenon. There’s a handful of dado joints throughout the rest of the build. I must have really monkeyed down on the pipe clamps and pulled it out of square. By the time I realized it, it was too late.

I used titebond 3. I glued it up yesterday afternoon. Question is, if I use a heat gun to loosen up the glue on these joints do you think I will be able to pull it back to square without a complete disassembly? I couldn’t find any info on how the glue will me affected after being subjected to a heat gun. This is super frustrating as I have a lot of time invested in this project.

[Bradley Gray]

This may or may not work. I would remove any screws and any back bracing and put bar clamps with appropriately notched blocks across the longest diagonal on the front and the back of the cabinet and alternate tightening them until the diagonals are equal. You may get a loud pop when you break the glue joints.

[Dan Baginski]

That’s what I was thinking to. Just not sure how well the glue will come apart

[Frank Pratt]

The chances of breaking the glue & not the wood are extremely slim.

[Lee Schierer]

Ouch, I had to learn the same lesson. When doing glue ups, check immediately for flatness and perpendicular joint alignment as you are tightening the clamps.

If your out of square just a little bit the back panel may allow you to pull it back where it belongs with the help of a couple of clamps as you insert the back panel in the precut recess. If you didn't make a recess use your router to add one and inset a 1/4" plywood back panel. Fasten the panel with screws.

[James Pallas]

First take three deep breaths. Now tell everyone just how far out of square your project is. Pictures may help. There is a lot of talent here. Most have at one time or another had a similar problem. You may have some work ahead of you. I would guess that your project is not lost. I would also guess that you will get several options.
Jim

[Dan Baginski]

I will grab pictures when I get home tonight and take measurements

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Don't feel bad. I am going to buy some new bigger clamps as my pipe clamps and my lack of close inspection caused my oak end table frame to glue up non-square. Lesson learned. This afternoon or evening the local BOX will sell a couple of clamps before I mill the wood necessary to remanufacture the frame.:o

[Al Launier]

Don't feel bad. I am going to buy some new bigger clamps as my pipe clamps and my lack of close inspection caused my oak end table frame to glue up non-square. Lesson learned. This afternoon or evening the local BOX will sell a couple of clamps before I mill the wood necessary to remanufacture the frame.:o

I wish I could visualize your actual glue-up. Pictures would help a great deal.

A thought that comes to mind, which may not work since I don't have this experience of breaking a glue joint, would be to heat up the blade of a putty knife (or similar) of the correct width & try to tap the blade into the glue joint, hoping that the heat may soften the glue as the blade works its way through. If this works, at least you wouldn't have any wood tearing out due the the glue being stronger than the wood. If this should work, then it would be a matter of sanding the glued surfaces.

Good luck whichever method you try.

[Carl Beckett]

Not sure if a hot putty knife will do it, but along a similar theme I used the vibrating tool taking apart a joint once (like a fein). It was a different situation and i was then able to resurface and make a thin shim spacer when it when back together. Thats about as thin a cut as I know how (cept the thin dovetail saw but that cannot plunge in)

Wonder if soaking in water or steaming would help... (or just make a bigger twisted mess)

The brute force method then stabilizing with a back panel sounds the most straightforward way, if that will do it.

Let us know what you try, and what does or doesnt work.

[Dan Baginski]

The right side is off 3/16 at the bottom. The right is off 1/4 at the top. It appears to have settled a bit since yesterday. It’s not as noticeable to me today. This is going in our basement where there’s not a lot of room to view it from afar. I’m thinking it won’t be that noticeable down there. I’m wondering if maybe I should just call it good. The boxes I’m the botto aren’t exactly square and I’m going to put drawers in there. That will be the interesting part to make them fit.

[Dan Baginski]

Sorry some of the pics are sideways. This is the most complicated thing I’ve ever built. Until now it’s just been tables and a headboard.

[Lee Schierer]

Sorry some of the pics are sideways. This is the most complicated thing I’ve ever built. Until now it’s just been tables and a headboard.

See how much pressure it takes to straighten it. I still think a square back panel would take care of most of it.

[Andrew Hughes]

Thats not too bad for a beginner. I don’t think it’s noticeable without the blue square there.
It will be a good piece.

[Derek Cohen]

Dan, it is only noticeable to you. No one else will see or know this ... of course, we woodworkers immediately tell about our mistakes! :)

By the time the drawers have gone in, it will be forgotten.

Here's a tip for fitting the drawers: glue them up in the drawer recesses. That way they will take on the shape of the recess.

And at the end of the day, for the next build, use the Magic Square ....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB0MBGiX8TQ

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Kevin Jenness]

Don't bother trying to square it up, that is just asking for more trouble. Scribe the doors/ drawer fronts to fit and only you (and we) will know. Next time, check the overall diagonals and adjust the clamps as necessary. A framing square is not that useful on a piece that size as there may be some local crooks. A "dry fit" test assembly is rarely time wasted.

[Carl Beckett]

+1 on just scribing and making the other parts to fit (have glued many a drawer 'in place')

The center of my living room there is an antique bookcase. It racks from the weight of the books. I finally attached it to the wall in back with a hidden clip, because it bothered me each time I looked at it, how much it was leaning. Everybody else in the house and visitors all love it and remark what a nice piece (and it is!).

So depending on the weight and how flat the floor is you set it on, it could rack anyway. Especially a piece that wide. I wonder what would happen if you just shimmed under one corner 1/4" and then put weight on it. (or at a minimum, when you do put it in place, you are going to need even/level support all 4 corners).

When you build these things yourself you start noticing even more all the subtle defects.

I like wabi sabi
And enjoyed that magic square video!

I say nice entertainment center, well done! On to the drawers...

[ray grundhoefer]

I wonder if someone sells those magic squares. Seems like there would be a huge market for them. ha ha

[Gregory King]

I wonder if someone sells those magic squares. Seems like there would be a huge market for them. ha ha

Really like that large hammer of his. Not sure how many ounces in that one!

[glenn bradley]

Part of our journey is learning to recover from mistakes. This one I think you can just work around as you finish the piece; especially if you use the amazing out-of-square hiding overlay doors and drawers. ;-)

Seriously, I would move along after giving this a bit of attempted recovery and call it good. I do complex glue ups in stages and then assemble the sub-assemblies for just this reason. Also, you will find plently of versions of checking for square after the clamps are on and adjusting accordingly. Our craft is one of constant learning.

[Dan Baginski]

I measured for square but I measured on the top, not the front. Oops. Rookie mistake. I did quite a few dry assemblies and it was close enough to square on those. Oh well, live and learn. I’ll try a few of the suggestions here and see what happens.

[Dan Baginski]

Magic square hahahahaha. I do a lot of work on my truck too. I find when I can’t get something to fit, I just need to get a bigger hammer and apply more ignorance.

[Jacob Mac]

Before my deployment, I built my wife a taboret. I was really pushing for time and I really screwed up a glue up. It was way out of square. The whole piece was rushed and it is not very good quality, but I couldn't let it go.

I was using titebond for my glue and I thought I couldn't fix it. But I decided to get out my heat gun and see if I could get it loose. I was careful not to burn the wood, and I moved the heat gun constantly. The glue bond broke pretty easily, although I did singe the wood a little. But nothing a quick swipe of my block plane didn't fix.

All in all, the piece is functional, but not very good. It is, however, square. And I learned how to break a glue bond with my heat gun. That's probably the only positive I can take from that project.

It is definitely not ideal, but it can work.


Here's an example

https://youtu.be/hC9Uyvs3ZQM

[Carl Beckett]

Before my deployment, I built my wife a taboret. I was really pushing for time and I really screwed up a glue up. It was way out of square. The whole piece was rushed and it is not very good quality, but I couldn't let it go.

I was using titebond for my glue and I thought I couldn't fix it. But I decided to get out my heat gun and see if I could get it loose. I was careful not to burn the wood, and I moved the heat gun constantly. The glue bond broke pretty easily, although I did singe the wood a little. But nothing a quick swipe of my block plane didn't fix.

All in all, the piece is functional, but not very good. It is, however, square. And I learned how to break a glue bond with my heat gun. That's probably the only positive I can take from that project.

It is definitely not ideal, but it can work.


Here's an example

https://youtu.be/hC9Uyvs3ZQM

Had not seen that before, impressive.

And I have a heat gun.... and am sure will have plenty of opportunities to practice...

[Jacob Mac]

Had not seen that before, impressive.

And I have a heat gun.... and am sure will have plenty of opportunities to practice...

It can burn wood easily, and it carries a lot of potential for ruining a piece. So definitely a last ditch effort. But if you have screwed up as badly as I did, I didn't have any other option.

[Derek Cohen]

This is an advantage of hide glue - steam it, and it will come apart. I use Titebond Liquid Hide Glue and love it!. Cleans up with water, long open time ..

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Patrick Walsh]

First the video was great Derek, that kid is a riot!

Second does the titebond hide glue stink?


This is an advantage of hide glue - steam it, and it will come apart. I use Titebond Liquid Hide Glue and love it!. Cleans up with water, long open time ..

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

No, Patrick. It has a pleasant smell. Doesn't taste great, however :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Lee Schierer]

No, Patrick. It has a pleasant smell. Doesn't taste great, however :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

I won't ask how you determined that😊