Realized my drawer box glue up was a mess for way too long

Been making cabinets for about 8 years now. Always just slapped glue on the dovetails, clamped them, and moved on. Last month, I was cleaning a panel saw and saw a guy pre-assemble his boxes with just masking tape at the corners first. No clamps. He said it lets you check the square before the glue sets. Tried it on a kitchen job last week. My boxes are way more consistent now. How do you all handle your drawer glue ups to keep them square?

2 comments

2 Comments

joel5366h ago

My old shop teacher swore by that tape trick. I use a couple quick clamps across the diagonals to check square before the glue dries.

wyatt_fox685h ago

Yeah, the tape thing is a game changer. I also mark a reference line on my bench and push the box into the corner to check square before the glue grabs.