How to prepare for gluing ?

[woodfarmer]

HI

I have need to join three or four short lengths about sixteen inches long and 4-5 inches square. to make nearly a 16 inch square about 4 inches (ish) thick. Precise dimensions are unimportant as it will be machined after gluing.

The wood is rough sawn, All I want to to get a clean straight face to glue to another. the face needs to be smooth enough for gluing, flat and straight, but no need to be square or aligned in any way to any other surfaces.

Would passing it through a bandsaw be good enough. ATM it seems to be cutting well but this wood is very hard. I have ripping blades and an M42 14tpi blade.

I don't have a suitable hand plane and not sure if one could actually cut this wood. help and advice sought.

Thanks

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I would have thought not Larry. The finish off a bandsaw is at best varying degrees of rough depending on the tpi of course. You've got a planar/thicknesser haven't you?? Normal procedure is to run a couple of passes over the surface planar to get a smooth and dead flat edge before glue up. If you have neither the above nor an appropriate hand plane then you could just pass the bandsawn edge through a tablesaw and take about 1/2mm off the egde as again it will be a flatter finish than the ribbed bandsawn finish.

 

[woodfarmer]

I would have thought not Larry. The finish off a bandsaw is at best varying degrees of rough depending on the tpi of course. You've got a planar/thicknesser haven't you?? Normal procedure is to run a couple of passes over the surface planar to get a smooth and dead flat edge before glue up. If you have neither the above nor an appropriate hand plane then you could just pass the bandsawn edge through a tablesaw and take about 1/2mm off the egde as again it will be a flatter finish than the ribbed bandsawn finish.

sadly I don't have a planer or thicknesser and my table saw is maxed out at 3 inches. This is likely to be aone off for me so looking for some way to "get by"
just had a thought, maybe sand it after bandsawing, and hope I dont de flat it at the edges.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Sanding could be done at a push especially if you rig up a long sanding block (like a jointer plane) that is at least a foot long to ensure it rides "over the peaks" You would need to ensure the sanding block was flat of course but that wouldn't matter if it was bandsawn because the paper on the abrasive would cushion out the ridges in use.

I have to say though matey.....you really should at least have a no 4 or 5 kicking about the workshop...old Stanley Baileys aren't expensive 2nd hand. For this kind of work, a jointer plane is the right tool but you could get away with a smoother for as you say a one off as long as you keep testing the surface with a known straight edge. Or just use a shooting board.
The saving grace is 4" is a lot of glueing surface so as long as it's not a veritable banana you'll have plenty to key to. It might even be worth experimenting with an off cut glue up straight off the bandsaw, see if you can get away with it.

 

[marcros]

you could wrap the sandpaper around a spirit level or similar which would be nice and straight. With a decent bandsaw cut, hopefully you will not be having to remove too much.

Is taking the pieces somewhere to have them put through a planer thicknesser an option? it would be a 10 minute job and save you a fair bit of time.

 

[Myfordman]

There is a member in Chateauponsac who might be able to help - about 100k away from you?

 

[RobinBHM]

I think it could be done with a router and a sled to true up the surfaces for gluing

 

[Jacob]

There is a crude trick might be worth trying if you are desperate:
Hold two pieces tight together with your hands and pass them through the bandsaw along the line of the joint, holding them tight together all the while, so that it's removing material from both faces. In theory the two cut faces will match. It might need more than one attempt.
This is an old trick for getting two sides of a joint to match (or open up a bit) - usually done by dropping a tenon saw down the gap.

 

[rafezetter]

There is a crude trick might be worth trying if you are desperate:
Hold two pieces tight together with your hands and pass them through the bandsaw along the line of the joint, holding them tight together all the while, so that it's removing material from both faces. In theory the two cut faces will match. It might need more than one attempt.
This is an old trick for getting two sides of a joint to match (or open up a bit) - usually done by dropping a tenon saw down the gap.

Obviously make sure you hold the uncut sections though or holding the cut tight at the the backend will open up the frontend to the point it stops working. - lots of clamps along the length might be better, removed before the blade gets to that point in the cut, maybe some thin wedges or folded paper in the cut kerf so you can maintain width for the v last section of the cut.

(PS I've 2 pre 70's #4s for sale !!)

 

[woodfarmer]

Thanks guys.. Am trying to face them off on a faceplate in the lathe ??? praying to the gods also.

Bit I want is wedged between two 4x3's screwed to the face plate from behind. luckily they are less than 24" as that is about it in the gap.

spinning! at 38 rpm

 

[RobinBHM]

Well thats a solution I would never have thought of!

 

[AndyT]

Nor would I! Do tell us if it works.

Meanwhile a few bits of useful vocab:

Plane - rabot
Smoothing plane - rabot à planir
Tryplane - varlope

Hospital - hôpital
Casualty / A&E - service des urgences

:wink:

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

 

[woodfarmer]

First piece done. Takes ages but finish is good once the tool shape is correct.

The glare is reflected light from clouds coming through the barn door.