Replies

1. 
   Kell | Oct 30, 2002 12:45am | #1

   I built a pencil post bed, queen size, out of cherry about 6 years ago.  I had to special order 16/4 cherry in order to get it at all and paid top dollar for it.  The downside to gluing up 8/4 is that you run the risk of the grain doing funky things where the glueline meets.  You can eyeball the various pieces you buy to get the best grain match but it's still a bit of a lottery.  You may have none of that but why run the risk?  If the cost of getting 16/4 is not too terrible, I'd do it again in a second.

   Just my .02

   Kell

2. 
   TomMGTC | Oct 30, 2002 03:56am | #2

   And now for the opposing view :)

   I have built several pencil post beds and glued up all the posts from 8/4. The glue lines are nearly impossible to find. You just have to take your time when preparing your stock. Match the grain well and  no one will ever know. Good quality 16/4 stock is hard to find and much more expensive than the 8/4 (at least in my area). My vote is for gluing them.

3. 
   RW | Oct 30, 2002 04:27am | #3

   My votes for the glue up as well. As long as you're in line with the suggestions and making the effort to match grain to some extent. This would be simplified if you ripped a width of the 8/4 after you jointed one face and just flipped it. You'd bookmatch on one edge, and the other you can put your mortises in and hide at least part. I've done that a number of times. The one edge looks perfect, the opposing is still a lottery.

1. 
   bleubassplyr | Oct 30, 2002 03:47pm | #4

   Thanks for the advice.

1. 
   Adrian | Oct 30, 2002 06:24pm | #5

   One vote for the thick stock. If you screw up the glue up...woodworking poetry?....you've toasted two pieces of 8/4.cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S

1. 
   bleubassplyr | Oct 30, 2002 09:18pm | #6

   Isn't it true that glueing up reduces the chance of much movement of the posts?

1. 
   Adrian | Oct 31, 2002 02:48am | #10

   Only on one side...the side where you see the glue line, and that is argueable (I'm assuming gluing two pieces @1 3/4 x 3 1/2 together, face to face). The 3 1/2" face moves as much as any 3 1/2 wide piece of solid lumber is going to move. This isn't like gluing up a table top or a panel, where gluing thinner widths does result in more stability. It's a square. I don't see any benefit to a glue up. I have one under way right now (been underway a fair while now, as I don't have a lot of spare time right now). I considered gluing it up; the cons outweighed the pros, in my mind, so I went with solid stock.cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S

2. 
   davamoore | Oct 30, 2002 10:02pm | #7

   You could, I suppose, resaw the piece apart... you'd lose the wood around the glue line, there'd be some waste due to saw kerf and re-jointing the boards flat, and it would likely be a major pain in the bum... but it would be possible.

   David (only recently able to toss cutoffs into the fireplace!)Look, I made a hat -- Where there never was a hat!

1. 
   Adrian | Oct 31, 2002 02:51am | #11

   You may not find out you have a problem on the inside until you have a lot of work into it, like when the tapers are cut. A glueline that's too big means a reject for me, and that's an expensive startover. Also, the glueline, even when done well, always jumps out at me when I see it done that way.cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S

2. 
   davamoore | Oct 31, 2002 03:02pm | #12

   Good point... I didn't think about the condition of the interior glueline, parts of which would ultimately be exposed during the tapering.  I suppose that no matter how flat you make the two pieces and how good the glueline looks from the outside, there's always the chance of a chunk of sawdust dropping in or a chip dropping out during the glue up... an ugly blemish that wouldn't be visible until you'd begun the cuts.Look, I made a hat -- Where there never was a hat!

4. 
   vincent843 | Oct 30, 2002 10:42pm | #8

   Hi,

   Forgive me to ask, I am new on this.  I know what is 4x4, 2x4 but What is the term 16/4, 8/4 mean?  Thank you.vn

1. 
   bleubassplyr | Oct 30, 2002 11:20pm | #9

   Lumber yards typically measure in 1/4" increments.  Therefore, 16 quarter is 4", 8 quarter is 2", 4 quarter is 1", etc, etc.

5. 
   Lar55 | Nov 01, 2002 01:10am | #13

   I've always used 16/4 and not worried about the possible glue line problem.  But if you can get the glue up with no problems then go for it.

1. 
   bleubassplyr | Nov 01, 2002 04:24am | #14

   I guess I'll go with 16/4 since nobody thinks there is a problem with wood movement making the posts twist or curl near the top.  Why deal with the potential problems of glueing if I don't have to.  I just hope I can hunt down some 16/4 that matches.