Hey folks! I'm working on a changing table that I'll eventually turn into a workbench once my kids are potty trained. I'm torn about whether to use dowels to connect the tabletop and shelf boards or if glue alone would be enough for durability over time. What do you think?
3 Answers
Totally agree! Dowels can help with alignment, and some folks even sprinkle a bit of sand on glue joints to minimize slipping while clamping.
You really probably won't need dowels for strength; they're more for keeping everything aligned. If your edges are nicely joined and you can push them together seamlessly, you're good to go! But if the joints are a bit off, some alignment aid would definitely help, especially with larger glue-ups.
I think just glue should do the trick as long as you've got good coverage. I've tried breaking glued panels, and they usually break along the grain, never right at the glue joint. So that gives me confidence that glue can hold up effectively!
Yeah, with 2x6s for the top, they should be pretty strong. I get you're concerned about shifting, but I've heard a lot suggesting dowels are essential for strength, which isn't always true if the glue is applied well.
I get what you're saying! It seems like alignment can be managed with care most of the time, without needing to resort to dowels.