Any idea’s on joining 3/4 ” oak boards end to end ? These will be 8″ wide and run along a wall in a basement that I am finishing. The wall is about 30″ high and runs for 26′ long. The oak will be attached to a drywall shell (ledge).
I have considered using a plate jointer using biscuits, as I don’t know how I could manipulate a long board squarely against the router fence to use a glue joint bit or any other type of router bit requiring the use of a router table .
Thanks,
The Rookie
Replies
A couple of #20 biscuits in each joint should be sufficient if there's no significant load. Stronger yet would be using the plate joiner to cut a groove in each board along the full width of the end. Make some 1/8" thick splines keeping in mind the grain direction must be the same as the boards. Then install a spline in the groove. Since there's more surface area, the joint will be stronger than with biscuits.
Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
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How about a lap joint?
Dark Magneto
Boards can be joined end to end with dovetails, except both pieces are are cut as tails (no pins first tail first bullshi* to worry about). Details in lots of books... throw Taunton some of your business.
Lay the boards on your bench and toy around with laying out the joint in pencil and you'll see what I mean. Have no scanner or I'd post a picture....
Edited 2/8/2005 4:25 pm ET by cstan
There's an interesting thought. You could even add a contrasting wood spacer to the joints.
Scarfing would be quite appropriate in this application, but you'll give up some length, of course. You can make a jig and do the job with a router, or even a hand plane.
lap joint
I'd opt for lap joints too, but before you glue up yer 26' long straight plank, run a 5/8" deep rabbet about 1/2" wide on the underside along the back, cause sure as shooting yer gonna be scribing the boards to the wall, and the wall is gonna have drywall joints. The rabbet means that you only have to plane 3/8" to make it fit instead of 3/4" Half the work....ergo twice as fast and less effort to make it fit well. Some folks may think 1/2" is too much- what with only 1/8" thickness on the typical drywall joint, but better too much than too little amd have to redo the work.
Of course, if the wall is crooked (Not that unlikely), any lap joints might need a little tuning with a shoulder plane.
And do make sure that the vapour barrier is intact underneath yer shelf, cause if it ain't, yer wood is gonna warp.
Stuff like this, I make the pieces fit before they get glued. Shimming for level under all the fasteners, the gap that occurs between the top of the drywall and the bottom of the shelf gets "killed" with a supporting moulding, which your shelf should have sufficient overhang to cover and more, cause it's not that uncommon to find that the rough width of the area yer covering could vary by as much as 1/2", maybe more!
Eric
in Calgary
Thanks for all the good idea's. Adding that rabbit joint sounds like a great idea!
I have some books coming from Taunton press; one being on finish carpentry.
Thanks again.
Charlie from MN
Wow Erik! You really nailed good advice. Especially the rabbet in the back for scribing later. Wish I read and learned from your advice back when I needed it.
You may want to ask on Breaktime, but I bet 99% of finish carpenters use a scarf joint, centered over and nailed to a stud. No way would they take the time to use biscuits, lap joint, etc.
Edited 2/9/2005 3:46 pm ET by BarryO
Hey thanks for the scarf joint idea, That was my original idea, as I have done some other trim work that way and it worked out good.
Many thanks for your replies!
Charlie
Typically a 45 degree scarf joint is used on the baseboard type moulding when cobbing together shorter pieces.
http://www.chase-pitkin.com/How-To/Projects/floor_wall/moulding/molding.htm
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