_Necessity of Good Joints._--After the selection and preparation of the
material for the stock, the next important general process that demands
attention is gluing; for good cabinet work implies good glue and a
knowledge of how to use it. Prepared glue, such as is sold in bottles,
is unsatisfactory for work of any consequence. A good woodworker
always has his own glue pot and sees to it that it may be made ready
for use on short notice. The glue should be fresh, thin, and hot. It
should be applied quickly in a warm room and the parts to which it is
applied clamped up quickly before the glue chills. It is the glue which
penetrates the wood that holds the parts together and not a layer of
glue between the joined edges or surfaces. It is therefore evident not
only that joints and surfaces should be well smeared with glue, hot
and thin enough to be quickly absorbed, but also that the parts should
be clamped up quickly while the glue is still hot so as to prevent any
surplus from remaining in the joint. This is an additional reason for
making close fits in all joints--in those which are to be glued up as
well as in those which are not. It is a common fault of beginners to
be satisfied with loose mortise and tenon joints, counting upon the
glue to fill up the spaces. Much of the furniture found in the markets
falls to pieces for the same reason. Such work should never be allowed
to pass. It is based upon an entirely mistaken notion of the true
office of glue and is nothing more nor less than a falsehood in wood.
[Illustration: Method of holding framing parts square while glue is
setting]
_Systematic Methods Required._--As in the preparation of stock and
working it up, so in gluing, system is all important. The hand screws
or clamps should be made ready and adjusted to the required width so
that they may be quickly placed in position as soon as the glue is
applied. The whole process must be managed as quickly as possible
because the joints must be tested before the glue has had time to
set. A carpenter's large square should be used for testing the right
angles, since it is more reliable than the small try squares. It will
frequently be found necessary to hold framing pieces square while the
glue is hardening. This can easily be done by nailing small strips
of waste stock across the parts, as shown in the drawing. A beginner
should be cautioned not to attempt to glue up too many joints at one
time. Two opposite corners of a framing piece should be glued up
separately and left to set before the attempt is made to glue the whole
rectangle together. The two remaining joints, however, should be glued
and clamped together at the same time.