Then spread the glue, massaging it into the wood with a finger. This ensures there isn't any junk in the glue. I want the joints to be immaculate.
Once the core was prepared, I dampened the inside of the back- same reason. It cleans the surface and opens the pores for a deeper penetration of the glue/stronger joinery
You might notice the little spot on the back, I filled the worm holes from the inside with wood epoxy, then scraped them flush on the surface. Once the back is finish sanded, I'll touch up the pinhole size dot with a drop of amber dye. By filling from the inside, there will be no excess discoloration on the visible surface.
I started putting the clamps on, but not tight- the wood tends to shift around until there are several clamps in place. I constantly adjust the position of the boards until it stabilizes, then increase the clamping pressure.
I want to see squeeze-out all around the joint, inside and out. No voids allowed..
