Showerthought: I keep seeing people skip the test fit on face frames before glue-up and it's a huge gamble.

I just had to redo a maple frame in my shop because I assumed the pocket holes would pull it tight, but the joint was off by a solid 1/16th after the glue set, so what's your go-to method for a perfect dry fit?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.iris3mo ago

Maple is so unforgiving, that 1/16th gap would haunt me forever. I clamp everything with no glue first and check with a flashlight from behind.

seth_carr3mo ago

Ugh, I feel that! The flashlight trick is a total lifesaver.

nathan_barnes1mo agoMost Upvoted

@park.iris That flashlight trick is solid, but I'm curious how you handle the clamp pressure on a dry fit so it doesn't shift. For me, blocking the frame with scrap pieces on the corners before clamping keeps the joint from sliding, especially on maple. Do you mark your dry-fit clamp positions with a pencil line, or just wing it and trust the blocks?