What is kindest glue to plane blades?

[Bodgers]

I'm currently throwing together a design for a 'proper' workbench that I will build next year.

It will probably involve laminating strips for the top to get to decent thickness. This will then obviously need some leveling, and it got me thinking, with all those laminations, and that extensive amount of planing, PVA/Wood glue is pretty hard on plane blades...and if I have to level it every couple of years, it isn't a one shot job. is there anything softer that would be more suitable for the top?

Obviously, Epoxy would be softer, but that would be reasonably pricey and potentially more difficult to deal with on the glue up...

Cascamite?
Polyurethane?

I was also considering a solvent borne contact adhesive, which I've heard are fairly soft.

 

[ColeyS1]

A sharpening stone

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[Mr T]

PVA usually dries softer than Cascamite which can be bad news for blades, not sure about PU. However I think you may be over thinking the issue it won't be a problem.

Chris

 

[Bodgers]

PVA usually dries softer than Cascamite which can be bad news for blades, not sure about PU. However I think you may be over thinking the issue it won't be a problem.

Chris

Thanks. Yes, probably. I just have a vision of taking nicks out of plane blades and spending too much time with the grinder to get the primary bevel back.

A sharpening stone

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Ha. Yes

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Any half decent PVA. If you've a biscuit jointer it'll help line things up and stop pieces slipping,

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

Any half decent PVA. If you've a biscuit jointer it'll help line things up and stop pieces slipping,

If you don't have an expensive biscuit jointer- Use toothpicks! same effect...
*watch some videos about it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'll look for that. I have used sand in the past to stop stuff slipping.

 

[sunnybob]

how level does a bench have to be that you would need to plane it every couple years?
If its really that important make a solid bench, put some 22 mm PAR softwood over the top and replace it as and when needed.

 

[Beau]

PVA and PU are easy to plane with little or no dicernable blunting. Cascamite and West epoxy are the hardest glues IME

 

[novocaine]

if you are chipping your plane blades on glue then you've either not got enough support behind the bevel after sharpening or you aren't cleaning the wire edge off.

seriously, don't fret it, get them glued up as close as you can to level then plane away. I had to remove the rounded shoulders from all the boards in my bench, I glued it up first then took it down to rough on tresels before making the frame and legs for it, once it was all together it got a last pass and off I went, at most it took me 30 minutes to do an 8x2' bench top and I only sharpened once.

 

[Bodgers]

how level does a bench have to be that you would need to plane it every couple years?
If its really that important make a solid bench, put some 22 mm PAR softwood over the top and replace it as and when needed.

I am using non-steamed Beech in a workshop that can get a bit damp. So I am expecting some movement. From what I read, levelling a workbench top every few years isn't uncommon, but I could be wrong.

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[sunnybob]

Like someone else said in this thread, i think youre overthinking it.
Screw or glue (or both) the beech down to the framework. It would be amazing if it moved far enough to be a problem.

 

[Beau]

My bench moves but it's with the change in humidity not through the passing of time but the two are obviously interlinked. I thought I would be resurfacing it every now and then but in reality I just live with the fact it is less than perfectly flat.

 

[MikeG.]

I noticed Paul Sellers used PSE for his bench. This builds in an awful lot of planing to get rid of the round edges. It would seem obvious to me to instead of buying 3x2s or 4x2s, then spending hours planing, you should buy 6x2s or 8x2s and rip them up the middle with a circular saw, leaving a square straight edge for the top surface which should only need cleaning up. Less planing......less chance for the glue to blunt your edge: something that has never crossed my mind in my entire life!

 

[novocaine]

so did the same as the Sellers, as said, it took me minutes and was good planing practice for larger areas, something I don't get to do very often.

 

[Beau]

I noticed Paul Sellers used PSE for his bench. This builds in an awful lot of planing to get rid of the round edges. It would seem obvious to me to instead of buying 3x2s or 4x2s, then spending hours planing, you should buy 6x2s or 8x2s and rip them up the middle with a circular saw, leaving a square straight edge for the top surface which should only need cleaning up. Less planing......less chance for the glue to blunt your edge: something that has never crossed my mind in my entire life!

PSE for a workbench!

We talking about the sort you get at the builders merchant? If so sounds like a nightmare. My experience with PSE is first it's not fully dry so as it does it warps and then needs planing anyway and secondly the wood is often very soft softwood so hardly suitable for a bench. On the other hand I may have got the wrong end of the stick as never seen the bench thats being referred to.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you think everyone's benches are hardwood I suggest you get out more. :lol:

 

[Beau]

If you think everyone's benches are hardwood I suggest you get out more. :lol:

Not suggesting everyone should use hardwood but there is soft wood and there is softwood :lol:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Many of the bench build wips lately have used laminated PAR tops.

 

[nabs]

yes, or reclaimed/rough sawn all of which need a lot of planing too.

I think it is worth keeping in mind that Sellers is trying to encourage beginners to take up wood working with hand tools, so he is trying to make it as accessible as possible.

Of course you can get better quality timber elsewhere, but everyone has access to a B&Q (or similar), and his point is that if you are prepared to shuffle through the limited timber stock they have then you will be able to find wood that is perfectly adequate for use in a practical and straightforward workbench.