[nbo10]

Hi All,
Working on a workbench top and getting ready to glue it up in the next few days. I prepared the rough lumber today and have a bunch of 1.5x2" square oak. Sitting on ground the boards have small gaps between them. The lumber is square and I can easily close the gaps with a little hand pressure. Is this good enough to continue to the glue up? See the picture for the small gaps. The boards are ~ 1.5" wide in the picture. Thanks for the advice. I'll probably get around to a workbench thread once I get further along in the project.

 

[GeorgeC]

If the "cracks" are eliminated with hand pressure then glue away. You should have no problem.

George

 

[woodnthings]

agreed, go for it

You will need a flat surface to do the glue up. There are 2 ways I've done a multiple lamination glue up like that.
One way is to lay out all the pieces on a flat sheet of ply or the bench top, which has been checked for flatness in every direction and diagonally. Then you start gluing the separate pieces, sliding them back and forth until they grab. After all the pieces are glued in this manner, apply gentle clamping pressure from the top side making certain they don't shift. When you can and if necessary, flip the whole assembly over and clamp on the back side as well.

The second way is to lay out your bottom clamps in supports so they don't tip and start placing the glued up pieces on top of them. Square bar clamps are good for this if you have them. I only have pipe clamps, so they are prone to tip over :thumbdown: and you must locate the turning handle off the edge of the bench or you can't tighten them. :no:

By sliding the pieces together as you apply the glue, they form a strong bond. Some tests indicate clamps aren't needed, but if you have gaps to close, then you will need to clamp them.

 

[nbo10]

Didn't get around to the glue up today. I did finish surfacing all the boards. I need to figure out a way to make the square holes for the dog holes.

Could I glue up 3-4 boards at a time and then glue up the larger section? Gluing up 15 or so boards at once seems like a daunting task.

The pipe clamps I have, have a little tab on the bottom just tall enough so that the handle can be turned while its sitting in the ground. It took me a few uses to figure out the tabs.

 

[Gilgaron]

Yeah you can totally glue it up in stages, much easier than trying to do a whole panel at once. I did round dogs, but for square I believe the preferred method is to use a router to make the slots before you glue up the boards. Should be able to google that pretty easily if you need a play-by-play.

 

[nbo10]

I've seen a jig for a router to make the dogs. I realllly hate the router :furious: it's loud and, makes to much dust. Its just an obnoxious machine.

 

[Gilgaron]

Oh I hear you, that's why I have round holes. I fancy my drill press far more than my router.

 

[Eugene Cutrer]

How do I post a new thread? Confused?

 

[nbo10]

How do I post a new thread? Confused?

There's a button that reads ”new thread”.

 

[woodnthings]

New Threads

How do I post a new thread? Confused?

You have to click on the category that suits your topic on the home page. For instance General Woodworking, Turning, Machinery, Tips etc...
When you open that category at the very top left there is a small red window... New Thread ....click on that and post your title, but make certain the spelling is correct! You can't alter the title of a New Thread, only a moderator can do that.

 

[BernieL]

Nbo10 - I've seen a thread about square vs round dog wholes and it seems a matter of preference. For my self, I prefer t-tracks. If you wish, take a look at my bench on this site here http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/versatile-small-shop-work-bench-unique-40361/

The bench has worked quite well for me - well beyond my wildest dreams.

 

[nbo10]

I like the idea of using pipe clamps at the end.

Aesthetically, I prefer square dogs. But, round might be more practical.