Dear George,
I have a maple desk that was made for my husband back in the
1960's. We lived at the beach for two years and stored the desk in a barn
that leaked. The drawers were constructed with a groove and tongue
construction. The glue is completely gone, and the desk is coming apart.
The drawers have all fallen down and it is difficult to even open any but
the very top one. Please advise what kind of wood glue I can use to
repair this desk---or what is the alternative.

 

Rgardless of the new glue, you need to clean the old glue off all the piece to be rejoined first,

Now then - my personal favorite is Elmer's professional strength Probond wood glue. I sue this on most repairs. Some, requiring extraordinary holding power get Devcon 2-ton epoxy. The Elmer's should work well in your case.

The primary reason for glue failure (especially by the novice) is failure to clamp the pieces thoroughly while the glue sets. If you don't have access to proper clamps, drop an email (or visit this site again) and I'll fill you in on some home remedies that work just as well as the best professional clamping devices on the market - regardless of what you're trying to glue.

---------
George T/