Gluing up a case piece of any kind can be a workout. You’re racing to get glue applied to all of the joinery, to get the assembly under clamps, and then to check and adjust for square before the glue sets.

For glue-ups like this, I’ve found it helps a great deal if two of the pieces are already set and firm at right angles. It’s easier to get a single joint glued up squarely, using a framing square as shown, and afterward, this sub-assembly can act as a square reference for the rest of the piece. This makes the larger glue-up much more manageable.

The technique will work with most types of joinery, including dadoes, biscuits, and many others.

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