How to glue biscuit-jointed miter corners for a tight fit?

[LarryLarry]

I'm building a maple/purpleheart cabinet for a facelift on my Express and I always have trouble getting the glued fit as tight as the dry fit. I'm using #10 biscuits, 2 on each mitered corner and 4 total on the front panel. It all goes together well for the dry fit (see photo) but when I glue it up no matter how fast I work, I can never get it as tight.

I'm using Gorilla wood glue and 3 belt clamps (2 shown in pic).

Is there a trick undercut, different clamps, different glue, ??

[guitarsnguns04]

I think the gorilla glue expands to much myself. I quit using it and just use a standard wood glue now. It might be causing you this problem?

[Markusv]

Stay away from Gorilla. It expands

Tite-Bond has been great to carpenters and wood workers for many many years
Perhaps relieve the edges of your biscuits a bit
The glue has gotta go somewhere!

Markus

[LarryLarry]

I was thinking it had something to do with the glue!

[dano-rator]

+ another for ditching the gorilla poo. It's just too messy and doesn't live up to the hype imo. I have had nice results on mitre/end grain glue joints with titebond "trim and molding" glue. Smear some on the joints, let it kind of soak in for a minute, then put some more on and start the clamping sprint.

Fact is, though, that a 45° mitre is just not all that good with glue alone - hence biscuits. But you could also try adding a spline along the length of the joint (or stopped if you don't want ot to show) or just step up to full blind dovetails.

As far as clamping, you might try adding a few "F" clamps to put a little extra umph on the trouble spots in addition to the straps.

Good luck!

Ps. Nice looking cab

[Reeltarded]

+9

I have seen more than one or ten guitars ruined by that crap. Tite Bond is the ticket, and it won't let go like that stuff will when it heat cycles 1000 times.

Yes, that poly styro garbage is going to come apart sooner or later. Uhohs.

[M Fowler]

+10 I use Tite Bond glue myself.

Mark

[Big Jim]

Not to hijack this thread, and I'm sure this has been asked and answered before, but did any original Wrecks have mitred corners? On my Express, I tried to duplicate the weird little rabit joint as best I could, mostly to make it look authentic. I do however prefer the look of the mitred corners.
I'm planning a Rocket build, and I want to use some highly figured Cherry. I want it to be PURTY!

[M Fowler]

That is a standard furniture cabinet joint allows a large glue surface.

From what I have read I believe TW had different cab builders so there is a good chance some were mitered.

The other way allows you to use more common narrower hardwood boards like 8 inch wide verses trying to find 10 inch boards. Adding the front surround adds several inches to the overall width.

I have a lot of TW clone cabinets and no two are the same size so not sure which plans some of the guys were going by? I used the first set we had and then changed to the new plan Ron Worley posted which is much deeper.

[LarryLarry]

I think it would be harder to build cabinets that are consistently the same size; plus I think in the spirit of KF, not only should no 2 amps be alike, no 2 amp cabinets should be alike either!

[Reeltarded]

That is beautiful!

[RevD]

That gorilla snot foams like crazy. I glued a thin wooden panel on the front of a chassis and in the old unused holes in the front it almost looked like that expanding foam stuff! I would imagine its just not compressible enough when you start trying to crank down on it. Biscuits from what I'm told also swell from the wetness of the glue. I'm not sure they'd react the same way with gorilla glue. I've read a lot of wood working stuff and I've yet to see someone say, wow that gorilla glue is perfect for this job. Titebond is all I'll use on guitars and cabinets (or elmers or whatever white/yellow glue).

Regards,

Don

[amplifiednation]

That cab looks awesome!! How did you make the valence?

I use Tite Bond too. Its cheaper and comes in three grades.

[Cantplay]

Hate gorilla glue for anything that will show.

It won't accept stain, and once it gets soaked into the finished surface, you get a spot that shows very badly.

I'm using Elmers carpenter wood glue, and it takes stain. I also mask the outside edges of the corner with blue tape before I glue so any seepage doesn't get a chance to soak in. If you do get any drops on the surface, wipe them quickly with a wet rag. If there is any gap in your joint, rub some sawdust over the glue to hide the glue gap.

John

[LarryLarry]

For the valance, I used a sliding miter saw to cut the purpleheart and maple pieces. Then I used #10 biscuits (2 on each side) and glued them up. I had cut them oversized so I could do a final cut on the whole piece at once. I then set my table saw blade at 15 degrees (approx) and cut the angle toward the faceplate side (carefully!) .

It came out like I hoped it would, so I'm happy. The name of this amp is "Victoria" which is why I wanted the "V" affect on the front panel.