Posted by Wayne Parham on October 25, 2001 at 04:57:53

In Reply to: Re: Bracing: expansion foam posted by Harald on October 25, 2001 at 04:00:01:

I agree with your carpenter. My experience has been that a properly glued joint is stronger than the wood itself, in most cases. So it is not important to use screws, even on large cabinets. My cabinetmakers have stated this, and I've seen evidence that tends to confirm it. Cabinets that are damaged by strong impact often have broken panels, but glued joints remain intact.

Having said that, my cabinetmakers still use screws in some places within complex cabinets. They are used as clamps to provide hold-down strength while the glue is drying. They actually could be removed after the glue dries, but there really is no need. So they're left in place.