Appreciation post: A workshop in Portland made me stop rushing my glue-ups

I was rushing to clamp a tabletop there last fall when the instructor calmly said 'the wood doesn't care how late you are for lunch,' and now I always check for even squeeze-out along the whole seam before I walk away.

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor_moore1mo ago

You know, I actually felt the same way for years. I always thought I could eyeball it and get away with rushing through glue-ups, especially for smaller projects. But @thomas_johnson35 mentioning that five minute timer trick makes a lot of sense now. I had a joint fail on a dining table once and it was completely my fault for being in a hurry. Now I take my time and actually look for that even squeeze-out before walking away. It feels silly to wait but it saves so much headache down the road.

thomas_johnson353mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah that's a good one. I mean I used to rush too until I had a glue line fail on a shelf. Now I just set a timer on my phone for like five minutes and force myself to wait.

evand653mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, a five minute timer for glue? That seems a bit over the top for most small jobs.