Suggestions for glueing up a reclaimed wood table slab
Hi there. I am new to the forum and looking for advice about a slab table I am building.
I work at a school and was able to snag two old 12′ laminated maple gymnasium benches. I cut the two benches in half and used a table saw to rip the rounded edge off each side. So now I have four boards 1 1/8″ thick, 8 inches wide and just under 6 feet long. Each weighs 20lbs.
I would like to make one solid slab out of the four boards. My question is simply: can I just joint all the edges and glue it up?
Seems simple enough. I am just nervous that the weight of the table is so great that simply glueing it may not be enough.
Should I consider biscuits or something similar?
I have ordered 4 hairpin style legs which will screw directly to the slab. I am hoping the finished project will look something like the image below. So you can see if I were to build a frame under the slab like a conventional desk it would really ruin the appearance. So my other concern is that the bracket of the legs will only be attached to the two outside boards. So again I am just worried about the strength of the glue bond.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks,
chris
Replies
glue joints
Chris,
In my experience glued joints in a table top were stronger than the wood around them. You could test your particular wood by edge-glueing some off cuts, clamping one end in a vise and whacking the other with a hammer.
John
The issue will be how well the joints fit to each other, they should be perfect. Biscuits don't do anything in an edge glueing situation. A good fitting joint will be plenty strong with just glue. You can use some cauls to keep everything aligned and flat as you clamp up. I have a picture of a smaller panel glue up, wax paper under the cauls, mine are just 1x3 red oak with straight edges. You don't need a lot of clamps with cauls and the top won't buckle.
As stated, in a good glue joint the glue usually is at least as strong as the surrounding wood. That doesn't prevent the wood however from failing if the weight of the top is too great. Also, a simple threaded connection between the leg and tabletop is not nearly as strong as a standard table leg and apron assembly. If children will be around, you might consider an alternative design. Just my two cents.
Glue
As noted have both edges match then glue both edges and let sit for a few minutes. This will push out any air bubbles in the wood. Clamp and let dry. You will have a strong joint.
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