Waney edge glue up

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tim

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I am making a peninsular for a customer's kitchen. They want the worktop to be made in waney edged ash (to match their existing worksurface) and because its a peninsular, they also want the wane on both edges! They already have the timber - which is actually two very nice air dried boards, but both will need to be ripped to remove a large central check and various other imperfections which while attractive, would also remove the functionality of the worktop!

My quetsion is this - what is the best way to clamp up the the boards when rejoining. With both edges waney, there isnt any straight surface to clamp against. I had thought about sandwiching the outer boards and then using these straight edges as the clampable edges but I can't help think that there will still be movement when I start to tighten up the lateral clamps.

Any thoughts

T
 
Tim,

A little earlier than expected (rain forced a retreat)!

I guess I would glue blocks to both sides of each piece and then use those to clamp with - they would need routing/planing off after of course. Double sided tape might be strong enough too, to attach the blocks.
 
Or just clamp scrap 1" x 1"s or so to the whole lenght, on each side and top and bottom.

Noel
 
Good idea Noel,

To ensure the two boards are kept together in the same plane, I would use clamps with broad faces across the joint, or clamp other flat bits of wood to the same effect.
 
Tim
How thick are these boards. If they are nice and thick, like a regular worktop, what wrong with treating them like normal, with worktop dumbell fasteners?

Of course, if they are only ex-1", then I'm talking rubbish again.

Cheers
Steve
 
Just realised that Noel's idea may not be so workable after all. Unless the clamping bars, blocks or whatever are fixed to the waney boards, they won't pull them together in the centre. :cry:
 
Hi Tim,

You could try clamping thick batterns across the joint top and bottom to keep the joint in line then use band clamps or a rope and stick to produce a tourniquet. Not sure if it would damage the edge but it should not need great pressure to form the joint.

Neil
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.

The timber will finish c40mm so the dumbell fasteners may not be a bad idea at all even if for glue up only.

The sandwich idea is possible but I don't know how feasible it will be to keep everything flat and even without any slippage anywhere. There will also be one square edged board in the middle ie its not just the two waney boards being joined together.

Cheers

Tim
 
Hi Tim,

Chris' and Noel's will both work. Though I would tend to just clamp the strips.

If the edges where they will be glued together at is not sprung and only hand pressure will produce a nice joint along its length you should be able to use either method to produce a suitable clamp surface.

Make the clamp "blocks/strips" of sufficient size to hold just the depth of the clamps and place them as close to the joint as you can.

Once those strips are firmly clamped in place they will provide enough purchase against the surface for the clamps that cross the joint on both sides to keep the glue joint together--try it on two pieces of scrap, it works.

Cauls should be used across the whole to ensure there is minimal opportunity for the joint to open on one side or the other.

Use saw horses to hold the whole thing and allow access to both sides.

Once the glue is dry, I would also finish it off with the dumbell fasteners as Steve suggests as added measure agaist the joint opening in the future.

Make sure to allow for plenty of wood movement once the whole thing is attached to the counter.
 
My twopenneth:

To get extra grip, glue some sandpaper back to back and sandwich it between the board and the batten that you are clamping.

If they are nice and thick, like a regular worktop, what wrong with treating them like normal, with worktop dumbell fasteners?

Of course, if they are only ex-1", then I'm talking rubbish again.

"Ahh, zer is another low-tech vay to do ze same fing"

I've reinforced edge joints before using a number of what I would call butterfly stitches - kind of like a "back-to-back dovetail plate" - I don't know what the correct term for it is. It's a sound, practical solution and could be a subtle but attractive feature for a tabletop or other wide surface. A bit in-your-face though, if the butterfly stitch is made in anything but the same wood dare I say.

Just a thought.

Ike
 
Tim we are all missing the obvious. Pocket screws. Rout a channel perpendicular to the edge, drill a pilot hole and Robert is your father's brother. Cheap, quick, and very, very, strong.

Cheers
Steve
 
Is it possible to screw some blocks to the underside of the worktop and use these for clamping? The screw holes could be filled in, but would be hidden when the worktop is installed anyway.

Just a thought...
 
I have done it a few times by using short lengths of 3x2. Cut a 40mm notch in from one edge on the bandsaw with the botton of the notch angled to suit the wane at each point these blocks can then be slipped over the edges of the boards and normal clamps used.

To help keep things flat a piece of wood clamped accross the worktop will stop any cupping.

Jason
 
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