I am currently building a few outdoor chaise lounge chairs. I am attempting to do so with as few metal fasteners as possible. I am using Titebond III waterproof glue. There are a few joints that will be carrying the load of a person and intersect where boards have been laminated together. I am worried that since a load bearing joint runs coincident with the seam that it will experience rapid failure. Should I worry about this happening? The joint is a pivot joint involving a dowel pivoting in a drilled hole . . . for an adjustable chair back and seat.
I realize strength depends on surface area, type of glue and type of load. The joint is between two 2x2s laminated together. I joined both surfaces and have a nice clean seam. I know that a glue-up (done right) is stronger than the original wood, but how durable is that joint? Can I expect the lamination to separate after a short while? Never? I have not built outdoor furniture, let alone been woodworking long enough to witness failures of joints I have made in the past two years. Of course I am sure UV light is also an issue, hopefully mitigated by regular usage of Penofin.
Thanks for any input. Just want to know if I am setting myself up for failure in the future.
-John
Replies
I've never used TBIII, but TB and TBII both make joints that are stronger than the wood, so if these are long grain to long grain joints, I wouldn't worry about them comming apart.
That is what I think as well.
I am just not sure of the length of time a joint can be expected to hold it's strength. I only bring it up because of the multiple chairs and stools in my house that have had glued joints fail on them after about 5 years (Not from my craftsmanship, or lack there of). I just don't want to place stress on a lamination seam so as to help it fail in a short amount of time. If a good lamination job should be expected to last the life of the entire piece, then I have no worries. Thanks for the reply!
-John
Chairs & stools have to withstand racking forces that you don't normally see in other forms of furniture. I've never seen a long grain to long grain glue joint fail even in these situations. I usually see wood failure. I think it's more common to see cross grain joints fail - mortise & tenon, spindle to bottom/back, etc. That's why additional fasteners, like screws, corner blocks, etc. are often used in chairs. Again, if it's a long grain to long grain lamination, I think the glue joint will outlast the rest of the piece. Bet the dowel goes first. Post an update in 5 or 10 years.
Stainless steel screws in predrilled holes into dowels Steinmetz
Just want to add that the screws should go into the dowels across the grain, not into end grain. Very good holding power when used that way.
Mangler, Absolutely
Used to install door closers on fireproof (Mineral core ) wood doors.
Whenever the mounting screws tended to loosen, (Due to the loose gypsum/asbestos core,) we would bore 1' holes down through the door tops and into the 'Gyp'
Then I'd glue the 1"x5'"dowels into the bores
To prevent the dowels from splitting, we always oriented the long grain so the screws entered perpendicularly to the grain.
By the way it's good when making hammer handles, to orient the long grain parallel to the eye hole to gain maximum resistance to breaking.
Steinmetz
Edited 8/18/2004 5:53 pm ET by steinmetz
I'm pretty impressed that you could offer advice about making hammer handles. Didn't think anyone would even consider doing that.
mang, I must own at least 50 hammers used for various applications
Occasionally I find a neat oddball hammerhead at a flea market for $1.00 (Or, less)
When the spirit moves me, I clean and polish the heads and fit and install new handles to give them new life. I also give some away as small gifts.
A good friend (New in this part of the world) was an aspiring carpenter / woodworker.
When I first worked alongside him, he was very 'Klutzy' when it came to better wood work. Thought of him as 'Gomer Pyle' type and made a lot of sport of his command of English.
I didn't know he spoke three or four european languages as well as English.
Once, I found an old Shoemakers hammer head and although,I didn.t have any use for cobbling', I polished it up, installed a new handle AND stamped his name on it
I intended to make a practical joke about his 'Having all thumbs' etc etc.
I presented it to him as a trophy and as a token of my apprecation of his friendship.
That was 15 years ago, and he still has it in his shop. He is now an accomplished cabinet maker, with a complete professional work shop .
Also, an apartment building owner/manager/builder and restorer.
Did I mention, I taught him how to install locks and rekey and masterkey them as well?
When I retired, I sold him all my locksmith tools and key machines He now is a proud holder of a NEW YORK CITY locksmith's licence.
He treasures that old hammer though. Steinmetz
Edited 8/18/2004 7:34 pm ET by steinmetz
nice story, does he use the hammer?please excuse my spelling.
Keeps it on his desk' Stein.
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