Advice on Cabinet Repair

[mlewie]

I recently bought a pair of Heresy IIs on CL. While cleaning up the finish, I noticed that the top of one of the cabinets needs to be reglued to the front motor board and the two sides. If I pull on it, the top will separate along the entire length of the motor board and just a few inches down the two sides. The glue is holding strong toward the rear of the cabinet.

I'm thinking that I will spread the pieces apart as far as I can and try to inject glue into the gaps from the inside of the cabinet (I have removed all drivers). Any guesses on whether this will work? Obviously, I'm trying to avoid a complete refinishing project, which I"m not capable of doing. If I give it a try, any recommendations on what glue/epoxy I should use?

Thanks for any advice.

[Malcolm]

Well, once the glue joints fail, the correct way to fix the problem is to disassemble, remove the old glue, and re-glue. The reason the top only comes apart a few inches down the sides is probably that they are nailed.

Assuming that you don't want to completely disassemble, just glue with carpenters glue and clamp. It won't make any difference if you inject the glue from the inside or the outside because it will squeeze out on both sides. Clean up squeeze out with a damp sponge. You can tape the finished sides right up to the edge to make it easier if you want.

[mlewie]

Thanks. Yes, I'm going to try the quick fix first. If it doesn't work, I'll be looking for recommendations on how to rebuild a cabinet.