Replies

1. 
   johnhardy | Jan 14, 2003 08:53pm | #1

   In my experience you can use a table saw (a good one, with a good blade) to get glue line cuts for what you're looking for. A radial arm saw won't work, in my opinion.

   Since you don't have a jointer, my advice would be to use a straight edge and a router to get your edges square and straight. I'd get a heavy duty piece of metal stock from a metal fabricator so that it is not only straight but won't flex on you. Another approach is to get a perfectly straight piece of hardwood and use that. With the hardwood you can glue a 1/4 inch thick piece of masonite which is slightly wider than the distance from the edge of the router to the router bit to the underside of the hardwood. You can then use the router to clean up the masonite, leaving an exact line where the router bit will give you the glue line cut. Remember to always use your router in the same orientation (same place on the base against the straight edge) so that you don't have quirks caused by your router bit not being perfectly centered in the base.

   If you want to buy a device that does the above (and does it well, I've heard ... I don't have one) use can look at the Jointability. See http://www.jointability.com for details.

   John

2. 
   observer | Jan 14, 2003 10:01pm | #2

   My rule of thumb is that if you aren't happy with the look when clamped, you won't be happy with it glued. You might try using a jointer plane to improve your joint.

3. 
   Alan | Jan 14, 2003 10:31pm | #3

   Ryan,

   Part of the answer depends on where the gap is.  If the gap is on the end(s) of the boards then you should probably straighten it out.  If, however, the gap is in the middle of the boards, i.e., the ends meet but there's a tiny gap in the middle, you have created a "spring joint" and there's no need to straighten the stock further.

   Crafts(wo)men often deliberately make spring joints.  As the wood dries out and shrinks further over time, the majority of the moisture is lost through the end grain.  This means the ends shrink faster than the middle.  Creating a spring joint counteracts this, and keeps the glue joint from separating at the ends.

   N.B., the gap in the middle should be VERY small.  You should see just the narrowest gleam of light when you sight through the joint--just about as thick as a piece of paper.  The gap should be easily eliminated with clamp pressure only slightly greater than usual; if you really have to crank down the clamps you have too much of a gap.

   Alan

1. 
   AlanTurner | Jan 14, 2003 11:10pm | #4

   Further to Alan's comments, older jointers sometines had a lever that would drop (or raise) the outfeed table for the final pass to give the slight convex shape.  My old jointer has such a device, but I have never tried to use it.  The fellow I bought it from said that with modern glues, and houses heated and cooled year 'round, it was not necessary.

4. 
   71Atlas | Jan 15, 2003 11:55pm | #5

   I have closed up the gap with clamps, maybe a little tighter than normal, still waiting to finish sanding to see the results.

   One lesson I learned: Don't accept that the edge of an old 2' carpenter square is stright. Mine has a bow of 0.007 an probably has been that way for 30 years.

   Thanks for all of the words of wisdom.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 1/16/2003 2:17:37 PM ET by RYAN7111

1. 
   71Atlas | Jan 16, 2003 10:28pm | #6

    

   I have closed up the gap with clamps, maybe a little tighter than normal, still waiting to finish sanding to see the results.

   One lesson I learned: Don't accept that the edge of an old 2' carpenter square is stright. Mine has a bow of 0.007 an probably has been that way for 30 years.

   Thanks for all of the words of wisdom.

1. 
   NOTRIX1 | Jan 17, 2003 06:56am | #7

   Hi,

   Also you can use a jointer plane. Stanley Bailey 6, 7, or 8's go for less than $100 (usually). It takes some practice and your plane must be dialed in. You clamp your boards face to face and plane the 2 edges that will glue up simutaneously. You have to imagine the edges are hinged as you glue them up, if you flip them the fit won't be perfect if you were slightly out of square which is what happen to me. Like I said it takes a little practice but as soon as you get a nice long shaving from both sides they should glue up fine.

   You can also set up a plane on a shooting boards and run them seprately past the blade. But if your out of square you'll have to be mindfull of which way is up.

   HTH

   N