The best way to ensure a square glue-up of just about any kind of box is to cut your joints accurately, work on a dead-flat surface, and carefully center the clamping pressure across the joint. However, it’s not unusual to find that you’re still a bit out of square. It’s time to get cocky with your clamps: simply shift them slightly in the direction of bringing the clamp bars parallel to the assembly’s longer diagonal. Recheck for square by comparing your diagonals again, and make any adjustments until the diagonals match.
—Jean Devine, Santa Rosa, California
