joining solid wood worksurface

[drewdt3]

Hi all, hope someone can help. My son has a couple of solid wood work tops 27mm think he needs joining end to end. Using the joining bolts, what is the shallowist I can get away with routing? I'm thinking 20mm doesn't leave me a lot of wood above. TIA

Drew

 

[Racers]

How about a 18mm or 12mm ply spline?

Pete

 

[Beau]

Hi all, hope someone can help. My son has a couple of solid wood work tops 27mm think he needs joining end to end. Using the joining bolts, what is the shallowist I can get away with routing? I'm thinking 20mm doesn't leave me a lot of wood above. TIA

Drew

Not done it but 7mm sounds like plenty of meat left in the worktop.

 

[Neil S]

I think you need to aim to get the middle of the joining bolts in the middle of the worktop. What size are the worktop bolts at their thickest point? This will probably be the clamping plate.
If the bolts are too low in the worktop then you run the risk of the top of the joint opening up.
-Neil

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Depending upon where the joint falls, you could glue a couple of battens under the ends of the top to give the bolts more to pull in on. (and as said above position the bolts a better)

 

[drewdt3]

Thanks for all your replies. I was thinking that it's got to be as central as possible. I shall have to buy some bolts and have a measure. I'm thinking the plates on each end have got to be about 18mm wide? As you say 7mm is still pretty thick as it's only going to be in 3 places on each piece. Going to make myself a router jig as this is probably the only time I shall ever do it I can't justify buying one, (getting myself a biscuit jointer for the job though lol).

Drew

 

[drewdt3]

Depending upon where the joint falls, you could glue a couple of battens under the ends of the top to give the bolts more to pull in on. (and as said above position the bolts a better)

I like the sound of this idea as well, may allow the bolt to sit down a bit more?

Thanks

Drew

 

[drewdt3]

How about a 18mm or 12mm ply spline?

Pete

Pete, do you mean like a butterly?

Drew

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, you could ensure the bolts are pulling tight in the right places a bit more easily with a deeper face to play with. It just depends whether the battens would foul anything underneath.
A splined joint would be like joining two pieces of tongue and groove using the grooved sides only with a strip fitting both grooves. Shoot the ends to guarantee the top closes a hair's breadth before the bottom and use a good waterproof glue.

 

[drewdt3]

Of course, I know what was meant now, it's getting late, lol. Thanks again for all the help.

Drew