Good morning,
I’m building a bed and I need the posts to be 4 x 4 solid because they will have 1/2″ lag studs to hold a frame platform made from 1/4″ angle iron.
I have about 60 board’ of white oak true 2 x 12. My plan was to rip 4″ widths and “laminate” them to make 4 x 4s.
I’m fairly new to this. Well, I grew up helping my dad make cabinets and some simple furniture, but I’m fairly new to making decisions as to how things should be done. Just using glue to join to heavy pieces like that seems a little bit feeble, but I’m not sure what else to use. I really want to avoid screws if at all possible. Does it do any good to dowel a face joint like that?
Any and all opinions/help are welcome.
Thank you!
Matthew
Replies
As long as the faces mate well, glue is very, very strong. Stronger than the wood. Use plenty of clamps.
Cut them a bit heavy so you can clean them up to final size. No glueup is perfect.
I've made 4x4 oak bed posts before and it worked great. I used 5/4 stock to net the size I needed, then laminated a 1/4" thick piece to cover the glue lines. I figured the sizes out in advance, so once everything was jointed and planed to finish dimensions, the thin strip was about 3/32" thick. That way, once you round over the edges the glue line disappears.
I see no issue with face gluing 8/4 stock together. As long as your stock is dry, it should work fine.
Dowels will add nothing but irritation and sorrow. Glue is more than strong enough.
Your plan to laminate will work functionally but, if you do it this way it will look better as you will have control over the grain pattern. However, it is certainly more challenging to do. You don't need the core piece except where you will have your lag screw.
A lot of good feedback here! I appreciate it!
I think I'm going to stick with my original plan but nix the dowels. This bed is for me, not a customer, so I'm using it to gain experience.
Bilyo, I like the idea illustrated in that picture, but it may be a little over my head at the moment. I was talking to my wife last night, and she's fine with this one being a learning project, and making a final draft in a few years.
An alternate to bilyo's example is a thick veneer on two faces to give the appearance of quarter-sawn stock.
dont forget to take into account the kerf width when you cut the 2x12s. It will leave you with less than 4" wide sections and potentially one piece 4"- (kerf x 2) if you dont plan for it. That's the kind of mistake I am always making.
Clamp the life out of the wood, the glue will surprise you. If I want extra hold to be sure I use Old Brown Glue. It's pricey and has to be kept warm but it won't come apart unless you yell real loud and beat it with a 16 pound sledge.
mikaol
I have done a similar glue up like yours, but mine was for table legs. I did not find the grain to look bad after it was glued. It does not look that much different than the main face.
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