My old boss swore by hide glue for drawer dovetails, and I finally get it.

I always thought it was just stubborn tradition, but after a repair job on a 1920s dresser, the original hide glue joints gave way cleanly without damaging the wood. Modern PVA would have made that a nightmare. Anyone else have a tool or method they doubted that proved you wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessej231mo ago

Old bosses and their weird glue, right? Mine used to say a dull knife was safer than a sharp one, and I fought him on it for months. Then I nearly took my thumb off with a blade that slipped because it was too sharp. Guess who felt like a fool cleaning up that mess? Sometimes the old way sticks around for a reason.

adams.uma1mo ago

Used to argue the same thing until a sharp blade taught me a painful lesson.

ward.kim1mo ago

Wait, that's backwards though. A dull knife needs more force, so it's way more likely to slip and cut you. Your boss had it mixed up.