Serious question, do you clamp your face frames before assembly or just glue and shoot?

I been building face frames for 8 years, always just glued and nailed them on the flat. Last month I watched a guy at a shop clamp every single joint before nailing and his frames came out dead flat every time. Mine always need a little convincing with a block plane after. Which camp are you in?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_coleman1mo ago

The real trick nobody talks about is checking your lumber moisture content before you even cut the joints. I've found that even with clamping, if your stock is still moving from drying, those joints will shift after the glue sets anyway. Save yourself the planing and just let your wood acclimate longer before assembly.

grantschmidt1mo ago

Man that actually makes a ton of sense and I never really thought about it that way. I used to think clamping pressure was the end all be all for getting joints tight. But now I see how the wood itself can mess things up if it's still wet inside. I've definitely had joints look perfect one day and then gape open a few weeks later. Probably should've let my stock sit in the shop for a week or two longer before I even touched it with a saw. Guess I'll be checking moisture content from now on before I do any joinery work.