GGs,


I'm in a multi-month process (yeah, it's a rush job) of building a bookcase
for my daughters. It's all tulip poplar, 1x9x6 ft, which is the stock size I
could get. The top is dovetailed with common through-DTs, and the
shelves all use sliding dovetails; the back panels were resawn by hand
and fitted into grooves on the sides. I post photos on twitter as I go along,
but will eventually get around to posting a writeup here, since it's been
almost entirely hand/vintage tools.


I now find myself having made a crown moulding for it to hide the dovetails.
The moulding is 2-1/4" wide (it's from p. 192 of Bickford's book, taken
from a Rhode Island chest). I'm planning to join the corners of the moulding
with miters, but I'm worrying about expansion and contraction. What's the
best way to affix a crown moulding to a carcase? Nail the front and sides?
Nail the sides only? Nail the front only? Glue seems like a bad idea,
regardless, but I'd rather not see a big ol' seasonal gap on my mitered
corners.


On a related note, should I nail the miters together, or use glue and a

spline? I'd like to know what is best practice, but also what is historically
correct. My inclination is hide glue and a spline (maybe floating tenon is
more correct).


thanks,
Adam