Harold Hall
Cabinet Making
Extramite (formerly called Cascamite) Actually this adhesive is known by a number of names so look for the name of "urea formaldehyde" in its description. There are also two types, one having two parts, one part being applied to one surface and the other part to the second surface. The other, and the one I am describing in this article comes in a powder form and is mixed with water. This is a disadvantage over PVA that is immediately available for use. Its major advantage is however that the initial bonding time is a little longer making it easier to use for complex assemblies.
Epoxy Resin This two part adhesive (often known as Araldite) has limited use in woodworking due to its high cost, even if bulk purchased. Whilst therefore not really appropriate for large woodworking projects it is admirable for use in model making such as the Monmouth cart in the Photos 1 and 6, It is available with two bond times, 10 minutes and 2 hours, given adequate time to assemble even the most complex item. The final bond strength will in most cases be greater than those above.
Design
The first things that will come to mind in this respect are the appearance of the finished item and with the timber chosen of a strength and size to withstand its intended purpose. A more obscure consideration is though direction of grain. Photo 7 shows a small waste bin where the grain in the Red Elm sides is at right angles to the Beech corner posts. Shrinkage of the sides compared to the stable length of the corners has resulted in a gap opening up as seen in Photo 8, best viewed enlarged. I had thought that over this short distance that I may have got away with this design error but it was not to be. However, it is the only failure on the four sides so perhaps the one board had not dried out as much as the remainder.
Where such a situation cannot be avoided, such as the panelled door in my hallway cabinet, seen lower Photo 9, or the trays in my food and drinks trolley, Photo 10, the panel should be held in groves in the frame and not glued. Of course, the panel should be made a little on the small side to ensure that any increase in its width can be accommodated in the frame.
The task in hand
For a large project using sawn boards a planer thicknesser is a must though even some keen woodworkers do use the services of a local cabinet maker to carry out this initial work. In some cases the timber merchant will also prepare the timber to your requirement For a smaller item, a plinth for a model, or clock, typically, using hand tools would not be out of the question, a hand held power planner would though be an advantage for initial preparation.
A Final Comment
I hope that you will have found these pages useful, or at least interesting. Be assured that I am not attempting to take you fully away from metalworking activities though I personally have found this occasional change of direction very rewarding.
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