Get on the grid for aligned clamp-ups

The slightest clamp misalignments can cause edge-glued panels, such as cabinet doors, tabletops, and cutting boards, to shift during glue-up. To ensure perfect clamp alignment, I marked a grid on the back side of a scrap of vinyl flooring. Now, by using the grid to align clamps parallel to one another and square to workpiece edges prior to clamping, the glued workpieces all receive even pressure and do not move, as clamping pressure increases. I routinely apply paste wax to the grid to keep glue drips from sticking.
—Dan Neyens, Bonney Lake, Wash.