Flat-pack furniture. To glue or not to glue?

Question

Yesterday I assembled a TV table [or a 'Norrebo' as Ikea insist on calling them -

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It comes with all the standard fasteners etc, as mentioned here earlier, but no glue. Hmmm, not happy so quick trip to Glynn Webb for some wood glue which was liberally applied in the assembling. 'That ain't gonna fall apart, ever!' methinks. Even if Ikea think their fasteners are good enough, I'm sceptical.

Now my mate says you shouldn't use glue, but he doesn't know why - just something he's heard.

Could he be right? Any reason NOT to use glue? There were a few dowels that had a good blob, but mainly it was 'rough end' chipwood onto birch veneer.

john · Accepted Answer

I use glue on the raw faces - if you ain't going to dismantle then why not - I makes it more rigid.John

mrcheerful · Answer

the dowels will hold, but the bits onto veneer won't

r.p.mcmurphy · Answer

Flatpack needs all the help it can get to stay in shape for any amout of time.  Glue it!steve

john · Answer

Whilst the glue might not adhere to the laminate, it hardens the mating face and aids rigidity.john

Brian Sharrock · Answer

There might be a problem in using glue on areas that haven't been designed to utilise it. There are conflicting considerations;- wood, hardboard etc. has a tendency to expand/contract with the water content in the atmosphere. Generally this means that as wooden parts are 'dried' by central heating, they contract and as the temperature rises and heating is switched off they absorb water from the air and expand. A well designed wooden construction will have slots, mortices etc to accommodate such movements of the individual components one versus the other. - Gluing the pieces together will not permit the mutual movement and something will give - frequently a split in the middle of something or a drawer front pulling off.

Andy Dingley · Answer

There's no reason why you _shouldn't_ use glue, but it is pretty much a waste of effort. You can't successfully glue end grain in solid timber or edges in chipboard. If you want it to have any useful benefit, you'll need dowels or biscuits to apply it too.

Dave Fawthrop · Answer

| Yesterday I assembled a TV table [or a 'Norrebo' as Ikea insist on | calling them -

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] | | It comes with all the standard fasteners etc, as mentioned here | earlier, but no glue. Hmmm, not happy so quick trip to Glynn Webb for | some wood glue which was liberally applied in the assembling. 'That | ain't gonna fall apart, ever!' methinks. Even if Ikea think their | fasteners are good enough, I'm sceptical. | | Now my mate says you shouldn't use glue, but he doesn't know why - | just something he's heard. | | Could he be right? Any reason NOT to use glue? There were a few dowels | that had a good blob, but mainly it was 'rough end' chipwood onto | birch veneer.

Make sure that you have it assembled completely correctly *before* using glue. Then take it to bits and glue.

Pete C · Answer

If unglued it would be easier to take apart for storage or to bemodified/made into something else.cheers,Pete.

Dave · Answer

Off the topic.How does this apply to MDF?I am having some 'furniture' delivered to the school I work at and I have my doubts as to its durability over the years.Dave

Sim C. · Answer

Thanks for the replies all. Well its glued now anyway but all commentsread and digested. Will report back if it all goes wrong :)

Andy Champ · Answer

In a school?  Epoxy fillets on all the joints, and it might last 6 weeks!Andy

Flat-pack furniture. To glue or not to glue?

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