Workbench step 2 (50 2-1/2" boards)

[bogydave]

I am using wood from I got from WV from Dad's saw mill before he passed on. We cut this maple down in the late 80s & planned 2 sides around 1992 & shipped to AK (Alaska). Finally getting to use them to build a bench for my new shop. All boards have some bow to them. Used an 8' piece of plywood to clamp them to to get a straight side.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/jigstrtenbrds.jpg

Some boards were 8' and hard to clamp to the plywood. A light bulb came on (dull at first) to make the fence on the radial arm saw longer. Sure is nice to have the saw on a 24' bench. I used 1/2" plywood 5" wide 8' long on both sides of the saw table. You have to put the inside bow to the fence but wow did it speed things up.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/longfencerarmsaw.jpg

Man I've missed the smell of good hardwood. What a great odor.
It also helps when ripping all the 2-1/2" pieces. The old boards wanted to spring, especially around knots. The saw almost stopped a few times it was pinching so bad. (Notice burn marks on the boards & I just installed a new blade , cheap one). The top will be glued in 3 pieces about 11-1/2" wide then later after I plane them, glue the 3 together.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/benchtop3pc.jpg

I used cherry to bracket the row where the dog holes will go. The board between the cherry boards is 4/4 (actually now its 15/16") I still plan to put square dogs (15/16" X 1-1/4") every 6 or 8 inches about 6' up the table.
I hope it comes out like in vision. Cherry should jump out next to the maple when it gets a coat of finish.

I need to get some good glue. Any recomendations. Titebond or Elmers? Anybody guess how much glue it will take to glue these 45 boards toghther?

[Don]

Hey, Bogy. Good call on using the radial saw as a jointer. The table saw can be used in a similar fashion. If your wood and "carrier" board are the same length simply use finish nails to pin the two together. I use finish nails for templating because the heads allow for a perfect claw hammer grab.

I would not use a PVA glue for a wood build up like this. Weldwood, plastic resin glue, http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx?product_id=42 is the industry standard for edge and thickness gluing. Water resistant, dries hard, sands well, wood colored, allows more "open" time, squeezes out properly, allows for "hammer fine tuning" while the material is being clamped, sands and machines like it should. If you've never done a large clamping like this you need to be prepared or it can go sour and make thing miserable. I've clamped up thousands of bd. ft. of lumber in my time. Using the glue mentioned it goes like this.

Only mix glue and attempt one of your 1/3 sections at a time. A gallon container of the powder will get you through your entire project. Clean container, each of your 1/3 sections will need a quart container to mix in. I would fill a plastic quart container a little more than a third full of the powder. Then using clear, clean and cool water slowly pour in just enough to start to wet the powder. Begin mixing. In the beginning stages you will be tempted to add too much water too soon, don't. You want the mixture so thick you can hardly stir it, this will pull out the lumps, it will be the consistency of thick taffy at this stage and you will continue "pulling" until you see that its smooth. Then you slowly add a little water at a time, keep stirring, you will eventually end up with a brown glue the consistency of warm maple syrup. This is what you want. If you over shoot in the beginning with the water, it's tough to "add" powder to bring the mix back in line.

You've already picked out your top edge and drawn a pencil line across all the boards. now lay them out and begin brushing the glue on BOTH sides of each piece. You'll use a cheaper white bristle brush. Pack the stack together as you coat the pieces. Have your bar clamps at the ready. I see you have the pipe clamps, good. You'll use them, alternating on both sides about every 10-12". Snug up the clamps a little all the way up and down. You'll get a ton of squeeze out, if you think you are wasting glue then you are doing it just right. Get a putty knife and cardboard box and lift off the excess glue. Tighten the clamps a little more. Lift off more glue, it does not have to be really clean at this point. Now look for "errant" boards, one's that are not in line or flush. Take your dead blow hammer and a block of wood and smack them into submission, rub your finger across the glue line to get the feel you want, the glue will not kill you. If the board does not stay in place, tighten that clamp a little more. After you are satisfied with the flushness of the assembly then tighten everything up. Use the putty knife on both sides to lift off the glue. You've got a bucket of clean WARM water and rags. You start washing the surface with a wet/damp rag, rinsing out the glue as you go. Finish up with a clean damp rag. The wood will be wet from the cleaning but this is fine. Inspect the areas around the pipes and get glue from around them if you can, this is no biggie though.

A word of caution about this glue. You will see "lines" of glue on the floor from the squeeze out if you are doing it right. These "drops" of glue will pull up concrete if you leave them to dry. Cover your work area with some cardboard if you value your floor and or finish.

I would also incorporate the dog holes into the glue-up, I'm assuming you are doing this as well.

Good luck and let us know if you need more help - if you already know how to do all of this . . . never mind. ;)

All the best, Don

[bogydave]

Thanks Don

No, I've never glues anything this big. I always look at bowling alleys in awe.
It will be a while till I glue but will use the method you wrote up (Thanks again).
I think I need more than 2 pipe clamps, so I need to visit Loews or HD (plus the Dab glue you recomend) . They are my only choices, unless I drive to Anchorage (40 miles). Also have to cut in the dogs like you mentioned. Plus Christmas is close. Thanks for the cardboard on the floor tip, I epoxy coated it but this glue may stick to the epoxy.
I guess I'll have to buy myself a few Christmas gifts.

Thanks again for the glue procedure.

[Don]

No problemo. You will definitely need more clamps. A minimum of about every 12" and alternating on each side, for what you are doing. The quick-grip and finger turn bar clamps will not apply enough pressure. That looks like a 3/4" pipe clamp in your picture above, that's your boy.

The glue drips will ruin your floor finish if you don't protect it. A quick search online at HD and Lowes did not turn up the glue, you may need to order some online. You may be tempted to use a typical PVA wood glue like Elmers, Titebond, etc. It's been done, but it will get ugly. You want as much as possible on your side when gluing up for width and thickness like this. You can't backup from an operation like this once it's done.

Bowling alley lanes are glued in similar fashion but they have special equipment that, "hardens" the glue using RF - essentially microwaving the glue line. There are even handheld units for doing the same thing.

Keeping your dog holes clear, clean and spaced like you want is going to be a challenge. I'm assuming that the dog holes will simply be achieved by using short sections of stock during the glue-up. After it's clamped you can use small tools and rags to clean out the resulting square holes. Here's how I would make sure my sections were aligned perfectly. I would make a "mock-up" clamping (dry, no glue) with the few clamps that I have. Look at each lamination and determine if it's edge is the one you want "up." Number your boards on one edge. Determine where the line of dogs will be, mark that board, remove and cut into sections to leave the appropriate space. Take these sections and the flanking full length strip on each side, temporarily fasten these together, pins, etc. Take the assembly to the drill press and drill through for some 3/8" dowel pins. One on both ends of each center section. Number your sections so they will be assembled back in the proper order.

Now you don't have to be concerned with proper spacing during the glue-up, coat everything, assemble it with the short sections of dowels in place and you're golden.

I can make a quickie sketch if you need it.

Good luck and happy holidays.

dawjr

[bogydave]

I worked till 1 am last night, having so much fun didn't notice the time. This is what I came up with. I cut the dogs slots at a 3 deg angle then notched the slots 1/4" for the dogs head to go into the bench 1". Plan to glue the short dog boards to the cherry board (behind) (dog standing in pic) & use the dog to space the maple dog boards. Was thinking of glueing them on the cherry board before the big glue up so just have to lay it in place. Marked with arrows & number so I remember which way the angle goes. (got all 4 sets cut & notched) once I was set up I cut them all so they are all the same. Doweling them, good idea. There will be a front apron to cover any dowels that show.I do have one problem I haven't figured oyt yet. Some of the boards have big knots (split, cracked & bowed) I'd like to cut them out & glue the board back together. Do I just dowel & glue the ends back together?
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/dogs.jpg[/IMG]
Should I get rid of some of the pics, this thread may get long?