Replies

1. 
   RickL | Apr 01, 2009 04:14pm | #1

   The cauls only need 1/8" of crown and you just use regular clamps. It's a very simple process and the caul techinque is derived from the caul tachnique of veneering.  I typically mill my wood to the finished thickness and glue the panels with cauls to keep the boards in perfect registration. Haven't used biscuits to do this in 35 years. I can glue up a 4' x 8' panel in one shot by myself with cauls. After the glue dries I only need to scrape of the glue beads and finish sand to remove planer marks. Very simple and the caul method uses standard clamps in your shop.

   Additional details. Cauls in pairs facing each other. Two beams are what the first layer of cauls are placed on.  The curve or crown really makes a difference in the results. I could never get perfect registration with flat cauls on 4' wide panels. The curve keeps the center pressed down. Also the curved cauls are a must for gluing a wide cabinet. Without the crown there is no clamping pressure in the middle of the cabinet.  Simple pipe clamps and quick clamps or C clamps are all you need. http://www.wetzler.com/quick.shtml 

   
   

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   Edited 4/1/2009 11:33 am ET by RickL

2. 
   hammer1 | Apr 01, 2009 04:41pm | #2

   I have a couple of "stand offs" that go on my bench. They are just a couple of 2x4s with dowels inserted to fit in my dog holes. Technically, they don't have to have dowels and not every bench has double rows of dog holes. It does keep them in place and prevents them from tipping over.

   Most of the time, I use straight cauls. I have a stack of them just like I have a stack of stickers. Any clamp that has enough reach and capacity can be used to clamp them in place. The F style clamps are handy for this since the fixed end isn't too thick. This method only works if your pieces are all the same thickness. It makes more sense for those of us that don't have large planers. Cut some strips of wax paper so you don't glue them to the work piece. You may only need a couple of pipe or bar clamps to pull the pieces together but you may need a half dozen F clamps for the cauls, but only two per set of cauls.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

   
1. 
   oldusty | Apr 01, 2009 05:09pm | #4

     Hi Hammer ,

          Those foam pipe sections are a great idea , thank you for that one , I usually use masking tape .

           regards    dusty

1. 
   hammer1 | Apr 01, 2009 07:07pm | #5

   I bought a box of pipe insulation, did two houses and still have a ton left over. They keep the iron from making contact with the glue and leaving the awful black oxidation marks. They also line up the screw with 3/4" stock for a more direct pull. One length will do a dozen clamps.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   boilerbay | Apr 02, 2009 03:40pm | #9

   Good idea. I've been using PVC pipe couplers that slide up and down for stand offs/glue protection on my 3/4 inch blacks but I think I'll look into the insulation.Boiler

2. 
   4runner | Apr 02, 2009 03:18pm | #8

   Nice shot! Thanks for taking the time.

   I'll practice some more..

   4Runner

3. 
   boilerbay | Apr 01, 2009 05:07pm | #3

   Good Morning back at ya!

   It's great to have cheerful people here.

   In addition to the 1/8" crown, I use plastic packing tape on the glue side of the caul to keep from sticking. Mill off at band saw or draw arc with a curve and then hand plane.
   No jig, just lay the bottom ones on the table and start.

   I usually do one on each end and two in the middle. 4 on top/4 below.

   If you don't crown the cauls you will loose contact in the middle of the lay up unless you have very deep reaching clamps
   Some people use long Besseys over and under to act as clamp and caul. I have found that way too much hassle. Pipe clamps ("Pony" style) bend too much and have too much standoff. Cauls are better.

   I clamp the cauls first to flatten and then clamp the boards. I almost always spring the joints on anything longer than -say 30". Biscuits sometimes- mostly not.

   Boiler

1. 
   4runner | Apr 02, 2009 03:09pm | #7

   Thanks,

   Guess I just need more practice.

   4Runner

4. 
   PCM | Apr 01, 2009 08:07pm | #6

   4Runner,

   Look at "Gluing and Clamping Strategies", Lon Schleining, FWW # 141, M/A 2000.

   Pete

5. 
   spotcheck | Jul 11, 2009 01:27am | #10

   Sorry to be late to the party.  I found this very frustrating as I was getting started, and now it is simple and pretty much dead-on for most glue-ups - I bit the bullet and spent some time on fab. 

   Milled hard maple to 2" square sticks (mine are about 36" long).  "Plunged" them onto the jointer to  make a long bevel from near-center to end (about 3/32" removed at the end), leaving a 2" flat spot in the middle.  Pen mark outlining the flat spot around all sides of the cauls (so I can quickly  locate the flat spot when the caul is face-down).  Packing tape on the glue-up side.  Now, I have a set of standardized cauls ready to go.

   Then, I used scrap to make stands that are about 14" long, with 2 fork-like ends that hold the cauls.  The height of the stands was designed to let me get the head of a 6" or 8" C-clamp under the bottom caul.

   Set up the stands.  Place lower cauls in them.  Pre-adjust all clamps (bar and C).  Alternating bar or pipe clamps on the work bench. Lay boards on cauls.  Glue and align boards.  Top cauls on face down.  If just one glue line, then cauls' flat spot aligned over it, if more then center cauls in the middle of the glue joints (not the middle of the board set if they are different widths). C-Clamps pretty snug.  Bar or pipe clamps set and snug (there are the alternating ones already on the bench under the boards).  C-clamps reefed down.  bar clamps cranked. 

   Very fast.  Accurate.  Repeatable.  Usually only need a scraper to flatten joint.  I have an old scraper that I use to strip glue squeeze out.  I also used a tip from FWW and have 1" long PVC that snaps on the pipe clamps to keep them off the wood.

1. 
   4runner | Jul 21, 2009 11:46pm | #11

   Thank you, sounds like it'll work.

   4Runner

1. 
   spotcheck | Jul 25, 2009 02:05am | #12

   Yeah - as I was getting started, I would always be rummaging around to find stuff to use for cauls, spacers, etc.  Then I realized I was my own worst enemy and made the set.  Everything is the same - repeatable and consistent sizes let me focus on getting good at the glue-up, rather than spend my time screwing around.  I guarantee you I am nowhere near the top of the list in this group in terms of woodworking skills, but this is one set of problems that is behind me now.

1. 
   4runner | Jul 27, 2009 05:36pm | #13

   Guess I'll bit e the bulletand make some. Thank you.

   4Rnr