Cross grain gluing and such

We all heard how one has to be carefull on gluing certain parts together on a project such as cross grain, free floating panels, and so on. When I first started woodworking, I made every mistake possible including certain glue-ups that I wouldn’t do today. My idea back then was to paint the joint with glue and forget about it.

But as I look at my earlier projects from 20 years ago I see how ugly my work was, but I am also surprised at how well those cross grain glue-ups are holding up over time. I wonder if it has to do with better modern day glue, or our dry local weather here in Idaho. I like to hear your experiences on how your glue-ups failed or suceeded over time and what factors come into play.

-- Richard Boise, Idaho