Replies

1. 
   Froed_ | Sep 20, 1999 08:58pm | #1

   *
   John,

   Since no one's responded I'll give you my $0.02. The best way I can see is to make a 1/2-in thick panel with a 1/4-in rabbet around the perimeter. The raised portion will face the inside of the entertainment center.

   This makes it easier to glue up the panels, and substantially increases their strength. I think you'll find that this is a fairly common approach.

1. 
   William_Tandy_Young | Jun 26, 2000 05:05pm | #2

   *John:Thin wood is hard to edge glue. I used to struggle with clamps and cauls, which were much bulkier then the work itself, and hard to position properly. Clamping pressure often distorts thin lumber, creating edge glued panels that aren't flat. What liberated me from all this was looking closely at how traditional cabinetmakers tackled the chore. Old desks and chests are full of thin, edge glued solid drawer bottoms. I do as they did: after making sure my lumber is flat, I hand plane both mating edges for each glue joint at the same time, with the thin panel pieces held together face to face in a vise. It doesn't matter if the edges are square or not--the angles will complement each other when the boards are laid out flat and pushed together. The edges should be straight, though. Once the edges are planed, I place straight, flat sticks (say 1/2 in. square) on the benchtop. I butter the edges with hot hide glue (flop the boards together face to face again and brush glue on both edges at the same time), then lay the boards out on the sticks and press and rub the edge joint together by hand. If the lumber is flat, the edges should align nicely without a lot of fuss. Hot hide glue gels fast, so I don't have to hold the joint for more than a minute or two. I leave the glued work on the sticks until the squeeze out has moved beyond the gelatinous stage and has begun to harden. Then I remove the sticks from the back of the panel (they're usually partially glued to the work at the edge joint) and lean the panel almost vertically against a wall, with one end down, to allow the glue to completely harden. Hide glue shrinks as it hardens, and will pull a well- planed edge joint good and tight.If your panels are longer than say 20 inches, you may have to use clamps instead of hand pressure. With well-fit edges, you don't need much pressure. Just enough to bring the parts together. Lightweight wooden cam clamps or small steel Japanese bar clamps will do nicely. Pipe clamps are way too bulky and inaccurate. In general, if your lumber is well-dimensioned and your edge joints are well-made (nothing compares with a hand planed edge joint for tightness and accuracy) you shouldn't need dowels or biscuits at all.

1. 
   CStanford_ | Jun 26, 2000 08:54pm | #3

   *No biscuits are dowels needed. Edge glue with Bessey K-Body clamps on stock this thin. A little hairy, but it can be done. Clamp above and below the panel. Lay the top clamps about 3/4 of the way on their sides and register the clamp edge fully on the panel itself. I'd strongly recommend the use of a slow setting glue. I like Garrett Wade Slo-Set (essentially a white glue). I like its viscosity, especially for edge gluing jobs. Keep it in the house until right before glue-up to maintain viscosity. Slow-set glue will give you time to reposition the clamps if the panel decides it wants to bow upwards which is not unlikely with thin stock. You don't need much clamp pressure at all. Just bring the well-jointed edges together enough to promote a little squeeze out. Don't shower down on the clamps and squeeze all the glue out of the joint.This is the excuse you need to buy four or five Besseys.Good luck...........

1. 
   Wm._Watts | Jun 27, 2000 04:43am | #4

   *JohnI've had good luck gluing thin veneers, up to 1/8", using masking tape stretched across the joint. Use a 3-4" length of the tape and stretch it across the joint, when you release the tape it will spring back and pull the joint together,do this every few inches to both sides. Then run a length of tape the full length of the joint. I normally use veneer tape for the part that runs the length of the joint, but, I think masking tape would work. After the glue dries, I use a hand plane to level any misalignment between the boards that make up the panel. Works well, don't see why it wouldn't work on 1/4" material. No dowels, no biscuits, no clamps.Bill

1. 
   rob.kelly | Jun 29, 2000 03:05am | #5

   *I make lots of french drawer bottoms using home made panel presses. Take 2 hardwood 2x4's 30" long. Drill 5/8" holes through the 4" dimension, 3"from the end(24" on center). Run 10" x5/8 hex head bolts through the holes on one piece. Countersink and pin the heads. Make the holes in the other piece 11/16 so it slides easily on the bolts. Lay the first piece on the bench so the bolts stick up in the air. tape a piece of waxpaper between the bolts. Depending on length of the panel you obviously have 2 or more of these presses. Lay your panel pieces on the press, with glue on the edges. Push them together hand tight. Lay a piece of waxpaper on top. Put the other 2x4 on over the bolts to sit on the wax paper. put on washers and nuts and tighten. This ensures a flat panel. Now alternate pipe clamps or bar clamps every 6 or 8". The waxpaper lets the wood slide together. The biggest panels I make are 22" wide which is why I did these dimensions. I also have a half dozen or so smaller editions made from smaller wood and bolts, for smaller panels. I go down to 3/16" thick with this system.

2. 
   Major_H._Patterson | Aug 28, 2000 12:32am | #6

   *Bill. Iv`e been using the tape method for years. It all depends on the accuracy of the joint. If the edges fit,very little pressure will make them tight.I usually tape across the joint in several places first.Holding the edges with my fingers.If this is a problem,you can use a flat piece of sheet stock with a small ledge tacked on, and pull up the joint with a few wedges.Then tape the joints along their length.Turn the assembly over and put a block underneath so the joints will open.I use a small bottle to apply the glue.A small bead is all you need.Turn the work over on a flat surface ,tape side down.Put a few more strips of tape across the joint. the hinge effect will squeeze out the glue.A strip of plastic bag on top and a board to keep everything flat till the glue dries.Yellow glue works for me.This is also a good method to glue up mitered jewelry boxes.Bill, this works for me on stock up to 1/2". After that you might be surprised what can be done with a few wooden wedges.As you indicated in your posting,the joint must fit so that no forcing is necessaryHave a good day---- As an after thought, The postings tell us of many different ways to do the same job. You look at the assortment and take your pick PAT

3. 
   Stephen_Kohn | Dec 01, 2000 10:37am | #7

   *I've used the masking tape method and it works well on my 1/4" cabinet door edges and on 1/16" ukulele backs and soundboards. Like the others said just stretch it as you pull it over the joint to make the holding pressure. If you need a lot of pressure from masking tape I've used one that a flooring friend gave me to "tape" together Formica flooring. -good luck and Aloha.

4. 
   Ron_Seto | Dec 13, 2000 09:41am | #8

   *How about rabbeting the edges 1/8"x1/2" and glue as a half lap joint?