Four Square Chair

Step 5 Joints

To attach the joints to the wood, I used a urethane-based glue (Gorilla Glue, but there are many brands) because it is good at interfacing two different materials, wood and metal. It requires water to work, so dampen the wood and the metal with a wet rag. Spread the glue on both faces and in the holes and push on. Urethane glue expands while curing, so don't spread the glue too close to the edges, and clean it up while still wet with mineral spirits. The dried glue can be taken off later with a razor blade, but it's messier.

Put on the outside piece of wood with Liquid Nails. Cut some little blocks of material 1/2" thick to act as spaces along the length of the piece. Without spacers, once you clamped it, the middle will have a tendency to bow inwards. Clean the dowels as best you can by working a rag soaked in mineral spirits into the half-inch gap.