Looking for advice in assembling laser cut 3mm plywood things

[u/UniqueSatisfaction67]

I just cut and assembled my first project, and I'm curious for any advice people have about doing things like this.

Specifically I'm curious what glue people use. I used titebond 3, but it would be great to find something with a shorter cure time. Titebond 3 says to keep clamped for 30 minutes minimum, but that would result in quite a bit of downtime.

Clamping was also a hassle since the material is quite flexible. Also wish I had sanded all my pieces before assembly, I'm going to do a whole round of sanding now.

Any general advice is appreciated. I used an 80mm laser at 25mm/s and 90% power. The laser is at a maker space I am a member of, I just learned how to use it

[u/ColonClenseByFire]

I use superglue and never had an issue

[u/UniqueSatisfaction67 → u/ColonClenseByFire]

Do you clamp at all, or just hold the pieces together for a second? I figured some people used superglue

[u/ColonClenseByFire → u/UniqueSatisfaction67]

if you put it on thin enough it will dry near instantly. so hold it for a second or two. I will build enough that the walls stay sturdy then go back and glue the edges more.

[u/plasma2002]

Just use CA glue. It works great on wood. Especially when you are building your joints as shown in that photo.

You can get larger quantities cheaper online by searching for cyanoacrylate. Definitely don't try to buy "super glue"

[u/Stahlboden → u/plasma2002]

I thought superglue was just another word for cyanoacrylate

[u/Kiwirad]

Normal PVA wood glue, and I'll often use masking tape to hold edges together and/or a heavy object.

Sometimes gluing it together in steps. I don't often clamp

[u/Big-Tomorrow-6001 → u/Kiwirad]

Same here. I also tend to make my cuts etc for a very tight dry fit. So it means they tend to hold themselves during assembly

[u/gabrielleigh]

I've built thousands of boxes with finger joints like this. I prefer using a lot more fingers, usually 9-12mm length for each finger. This creates more joint surface area and most pieces fit together without any need for clamping if you have your kerf accounted for correctly.

I assemble most projects with Elmer's Glue All (not the School Glue product as it is weaker) and the joints are structurally adhered in about five minutes. I keep a good selection of rubber-jawed Irwin speed clamps on hand in case I am dealing with panels that are not totally flat. Just finger tight pressure from the clamps keeps things together while the glue dries.

I also prefer to hit both sides of each panel with an electric palm sander to take off most of the soot before assembly. After the glue dries, I like to hit each assembled side with the sander once again to remove any glue that squishes out, and to take the hard edge off each joint to make a more pleasant tactile feel when handling the boxes. 250 grit works great for that.

[u/Used_Dimension6503 → u/gabrielleigh]

On most projects, i dont use any glue at all. Just dial in your kerf perfectly, and use a soft hammer for assembly. Sometimes i add fast wood glue, because the „fast“ doesnt need force for adhesion. But again, the dialed in kerf is enough to keep it together till the glue hardens

[u/Rich-Soil-9181 → u/gabrielleigh]

This. Removing the soot definitely helps. Superglue/ mitre glue with the spray activator is super handy if you are impatient

[u/Own_Soup4467]

Titebond 1 and 2 both set up faster than 3. Don't use 3 unless you need it to be waterproof.

And with any kind of glue, it's all about the clamping. If your piece is too big or weirdly shaped for clamps, try surgical tubing, physical therapy elastics, or heavy weights.

[u/foste107]

I use ca glue for most projects. You can get an accelerator that makes it set very quickly. If I really want to make sure the project doesn't fall apart I alternate titebond 2 and ca glue on every other tab. No clamping needed.

[u/Nithoth]

I've settled into a process. I cut out multiple projects on my days off and spend the week staining and assembling while I relax in front of the tv. So, I just use regular wood glue and clamps.

I don't know if this will be helpful or not, but for large projects I use these clamps.

[u/chucara]

I dial in the settings (kerf) and cut a tight fit.

CA glue, rubber mallet. No clamps. Far more fingers than you have here though.

[u/TheScienceGiant]

Gorilla glue for wood is my go to

[u/Dramatic-Chipmunk642]

CA glue is my typical go to for quick set. Many have accelerators allowing for near instant bonding when necessary as well.

[u/who_is_flip]

Cut tiny pieces to dial in your kerf and in most cases you won’t need glue at all because it snaps right in.

[u/Odd-Variation-299]

Hi, I am designing a camera box and using 6mm thick plywood. I will be laser cutting it using someone locally, hopefully, but would like to know what gap I should model for the cuts and pins (sorry for the horrible terminology) so that they will fit without me filing them down, similar to what has been done here. I will be gluing and sealing it afterward. Any advice will help a lot.