"Nehmo Sergheyev" wrote in message
...
- Steven -
I have a trim carpenter who does excellent work, but I am finding it
impossible to make him use glue when building my cabinets. All of our
cabinets are custom built from my layout. I spec all of the materials
and
how I want them fabricated, including gluing all of the pieces
together.
Yesterday, the face frame was loose on a cabinet he was installing, so
I
pulled on it and it came off (not glued, only four finish nails).
After a
very heated argument (he said that if pulled on, it would have come
off even
it was glued) we debated if glue was even necessary. I say it is. He
says
no. I realize I am paying the bill, so what I say goes (or he goes),
but am
I missing something? Is it now an industry standard to rely on smooth
finish nails to hold cabinets together? What's the opinion of this
group?

- Nehmo -

Not only should it have glue, but it should also have another form of
mechanical fasteners, other than nails. Some like biscits, I prefer dado
and rabbits to A) increase glue surface area and B) control dimensions.
I've done both. With the dado and rabbits, or biscits, with good clamping,
no or very few nails are needed.
--
Jim in NC