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?
Wait, you actually measure diagonals with clamps still on? That's wild. I'd be too scared of knocking something out of alignment while fumbling around with a tape measure. Props to your shop teacher for drilling that into you though.
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.