Saw a buddy's custom bookshelf at his place in Portland last weekend

He built this massive corner unit out of reclaimed barn wood, and I noticed he didn't use any brackets or visible supports. He said it's all held together with hidden dowels and wood glue, no screws anywhere. Has anyone else tried going fully joinery-only on a big project like that, or does it end up wobbling after a few months?

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ward.fiona2mo ago

wait, no screws AT ALL on a corner unit?

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wren_thomas162mo ago

Gonna push back a little here. Done properly, joinery-only stuff can be seriously sturdy, especially with wood glue. A well-fit mortise and tenon joint is actually stronger than a screw in a lot of cases, just takes more skill and patience to pull off.

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