5. Gluing & Pressing The Sheets Of Plywood

Once I sanded the boards down bare, I was ready to start gluing them together. I ended up doing this multiple times as the first time I put on the glue I didn’t spread it evenly and the boards weren’t completely stuck together. So, the lesson here is that you should be very generous with the glue -Put lots on, then spread it across the surface of the entire bottom board.  You could use a ruler or flat edge, but I only had a stick so made it work.  Do the same on the top board and then firmly press the two glue-covered sides together. Once you have this plywood sandwich it is important to apply pressure to ensure maximum adhesion. I started by placing the heaviest things I owned on top, textbooks of course. Then I transitioned to placing the plywood underneath my bedside table because it was heavier and the weight was more evenly distributed. I also found that if the plywood was somewhat bent or curved initially, then it was harder to get consistent adherence. I would recommend trying to get two boards that are already both flat or equally curved to make this easier. Depending on the glue you use, it may take 20 minutes to a few hours for it to completely set. I used a simple, odorless carpenters glue called Gorilla Glue and left it overnight just to be sure.