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Wide Cabinet back material

2K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  AlaskaGuy 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
So, I am working on building a 6' wide bookshelf/cabinet for our living room and am having trouble coming up with a solution for the back. My concern is having a seam down the middle of my cabinet if I split the sheet of 1/4", and I am not a huge fan of having the grain run horizontal if I don't have to. What kind of thoughts do you all have?
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
What I do, is, make sure the 2 halves fit good making a tight seam.
I butt them together, run a couple of pieces of tape down the seam to hold them tight.
Then I fold the panels open and apply glue to the seam, then close them back flat and tape the back side.
At this point if you want to put some clamps on them, gently, you can but I never have felt the need.

After the glue has dried remove the tape from the face, leave the tape on the back.
If you taped the front good you shouldn't get any glue squeeze out on the front, just out the back.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Can you order a 8×4 (grain runs 48" direction)
Otherwise I have done the same as AlaskaGuy

- jbay
This is usually a custom layup. Some distributors stock them, but, it is usually at the request of some large operation that is buying units and units of them. (Red Oak and Maple in my market)
If no one like that is buying tons of them where you live, good luck finding 8×4's of any species.

If you can press your own veneers, it is relatively easy to seam your veneer flitches and laminate 8X4 yourself.
(GLVeneer.com also stocks a pretty good variety of 8×4 veneers ready for your press - 30 species/cuts. Just don't forget a balancing backer sheet)

I suppose it all depends on how desperately you want no seams as to how much effort you put into this endeavor.
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
Can you order a 8×4 (grain runs 48" direction)
Otherwise I have done the same as AlaskaGuy

- jbay

This is usually a custom layup. Some distributors stock them, but, it is usually at the request of some large operation that is buying units and units of them. (Red Oak and Maple in my market)
If no one like that is buying tons of them where you live, good luck finding 8×4 s of any species.

If you can press your own veneers, it is relatively easy to seam your veneer flitches and laminate 8X4 yourself.
(GLVeneer.com also stocks a pretty good variety of 8×4 veneers ready for your press - 30 species/cuts. Just don t forget a balancing backer sheet)

I suppose it all depends on how desperately you want no seams as to how much effort you put into this endeavor.

- DS
Sounds like a whole lot of work and expense for a book case. Edge gluing is a practical solution.
 
#12 ·
I would either butt the two piece together with a real tight seam and a thin board glued on the back for insurance or put a nice figured board down the seam on the inside- maybe scalloped on both sides or something like that and it will look like you planned it that way.

Cheers, Jim
 
#13 ·
Can you order a 8×4 (grain runs 48" direction)
Otherwise I have done the same as AlaskaGuy

- jbay

This is usually a custom layup. Some distributors stock them, but, it is usually at the request of some large operation that is buying units and units of them. (Red Oak and Maple in my market)
If no one like that is buying tons of them where you live, good luck finding 8×4 s of any species.

- DS
I've bought 8×4's many times without having a custom layup.
I guess I have just been lucky that larger operations were using the same species that I needed at the time. ;)
 
#14 ·
Sounds like a whole lot of work and expense for a book case. Edge gluing is a practical solution.

- AlaskaGuy
AlaskaGuy, I don't disagree necesssarily.
If I already had inventory, I might do as you suggest. It is not too difficult to join two panels as you suggest.

Mostly, the decision for me would be based on what I am set up to do best and what level of project I am working on. At the super-high end, it would be and is unacceptable to have a detectable seam in a back like that. Not everyone can pull it off, either (seaming 1/4" plywood).

If this is an exotic veneer panel, I am picking my flitches anyways, so it becomes no big hairy deal to lay it up.
If it is a more common furniture item, I might not be so picky.
As I said before, it all depends on how desperately you want no seams as to how much effort you put into this endeavor.
 
#15 ·
If you don't mind a seam then you could make it show by making a double 1/4" rabbit on a 3/8×1,1/2" piece of contrasting wood and glue the two pieces to it and use it as a decorative seam.
otherwise glue do what Alaskaguy recommends. Or, just get some 3/8 stock and shiplap the back.
 
#20 ·
yeah this definitely is not a $16,000 bookcase! haha thank you for all your input! I think I am going to try and edge glue the sheets. This is going to be my biggest project so far, and will end up being a focal point in our living room, so I really hope this works!
 
#22 ·
yeah this definitely is not a $16,000 bookcase! haha thank you for all your input! I think I am going to try and edge glue the sheets. This is going to be my biggest project so far, and will end up being a focal point in our living room, so I really hope this works!

- averagedadworkshop

Do a test run with your scrap, if you have any.

- jbay
+1
 
#24 ·
Scarf the edge in your table saw (45 s) and glue them. If you line them up correctly the edges won t show much. Just the grain will indicate a joint.

- Craftsman on the lake
In my my opinion that's going to make something easy, hard. 2 45's are going to want to lip and slide past each other and be a bitch to line up perfectly. Like I said I've done this before and you can't tell where the seam is. Then somebody comes along a covers up your nice work with books and you can't ever see it. When you but two square edges together you can't see the edge.

Have you done it with 45' before ?
 
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