We bought a cheap cabinet, the front door of which is glass enclosed in picture frame sort of arrangement, the glass is contained withing a periperal frame. It came apart at two of the 45 degree joints. I visited an art supply store (looking for picture frame stuff) as well as Home Depot and Lowe’s. I cannot find anything along the lines of the wiggly metal things that picture frames use to hold themselves together. I purchased a couple of tiny hinges, figuring I would install them at right angles to their usual orientation to stabilize the joints. Does anyone have other or different suggestiongs?
Those wiggly things are called corrugated wood fasteners, and are available from good hardware stores. You may have to go online to a place like Rockler’s, or another furniture and framing supply house.
Wooden frames are joined with nails that are driven below the wood surface. If you can access the outside edge of the frame, you could drive in a nail with a hammer and then maybe sink it with a nail set.
Trying to find you a link, I see that Rockler’s doesn’t carry them any more. Numerous suppliers are happy to sell corrugated fasteners for use in pneumatic tools, but you don’t want to spend $150 or more for the tool.
I just checked my shop, and the driver tool which guides the corrugated fastener while you drive it home by whacking the driver blade with a hammer is stamped with the Stanley name and logo, but I’m not seeing it on their website. Nuts.
I’ll provide a photo link if that would help.
danceswithcats has the item already used correct.
Drilling out holes and gluing in dowels won’t work unless you have a jig or equipment made too do that. This apllies to the wood biscuits they are using now-a-days. The original way is likely the best way for you to go. The joint loosens when you use nails. The corrugated wood fastners don’t let the joints slip. Be sure to set the front of the frame on something like cloth or cardboard to prevent damage to the front as you hammer it in.