Can I talk with you for a bit ?

I have several bits for glue ups and locking joints. Most of them came as part of a set and most of the sets are made for cabinet or furniture making. I use them now and then (typically and more often the domino will work just as well)...I haven’t had much of a call for them in my latest projects.

I use a glue up bit more than the lock joints – The one I used makes small triangular fingers that interlock together – The lastest use was for making a long upper frame for a cabinet and it made a very strong joint (I could also have domino’d it…but I felt the glue up would make a stronger joint then just a domino – the frame was not that thick)....as you said though…the set up must be precise – I spent a lot of time doing the cuts on pieces of scrap before using it on the final piece (and I am glad that I did as the first several tries were washouts).

The bits usually do not come with much instruction…so you have to learn by trial and error…always make sure you have a bit of scrap the same width and thickness as your final to set up the depth of cuts and the location of the splines or fingers.

The glue up bits are best for cabinet frames, furniture frames, doors and drawers – the lockers are pretty much the same but for intersecting joints (the glue ups are mostly for straight lengthening)....I do not think they would work well on visable pieces that you would have showing – but they are making new and better ones continuously so I may be out of date.

-- Woodworking.....My small slice of heaven!

When I built my kitchen cabinets back in 1974.

I used this type of bit on all of the door panels.

This is much better than biscuits. You’ll be happy with it.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

well i dont have any of those bits , but i have seen some articles on them and they look to be a good way to get a good glue up…especially if your doing larger panels and or table tops and the likes…i dont have a router table yet, so ive strayed away from them …good luck with yours and let us know how they work for you…i wonder if there is any test results available showing the benefit of using one verses not..

-- GRIZZMAN ...[''''']

Neil, wish I had caught you in time. I have one similar I bought approx. 25 or so years ago. I did use it one time and found it to be very non productive in my application. It will however do what it is intended for. It will require a little fettling for the mateing profile. Just to slow for me. It offers two points: increased glue line area for striength and alighnment. Good luck JB

I have some and I’m afraid I agree with cabmaker,but if Dick likes them they can’t be all bad.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Great responses. Thanks much.

To reggiek’s point, a lengthy conversation with my (know-it-all) brother told me much the same thing about test cuts. Perfect sense.

Then he suggested I find the nearest plastics supplier, and buy some scrap UHMW bits, in various thicknesses, to use in making “setup blocks” for the bit, in every thickness that I could.

What a great idea !

So … there IS a plastic place, in town.

They sell scrap UHMW by the pound.

Fifteen bucks got me good sized pieces in 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1” thickness—pretty likely to cover ANY boards I’ll glue up, and then some.

My brother said …

—dial the bit in ONCE, for each thickness, using scrap material

—run the UHMW through, first pointing “up,” and then pointing “down.”

—take a Sharpie, and put a “1” and a “2” or an “up” and a “down” on the two sides of the routed UHMW.

Voila—simple setup blocks for next time.

Dick don’t know WHEN you did that kitchen, but …. it just looks great !

JB & Jim: obviously, you didn’t think it was worth the time investment, but … do you think you’d feel differently, if the set-up blocks approach worked ??

In other words, there’s a difference between how a thing works and whether it’s worth the time/trouble/$$. Do you think the thing WORKS, if you get the fussy part to go away ???

-- -- Neil

I didn’t have a router when I made these cabinets in 1974.

I did these with a router, & shaper attachments on my Wards radial arm saw.

Once I had it set for the material thickness, I ran all of my joints with one set up.

A piece of cake.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Good advice, Jarrod.

I’m really trying to form habits of using featherboards in lots of my cutting and shaping processes.

I also learned (the hard way, of course) that I should use fence clamps to equalize downward force when running wood over my TS dado stack, for cutting tenons. Flat is only flat with a bit of pressure, and even is only even, under the same circumstances.

It’s so funny: not much of this is truly “rocket science.” What it IS is … if you want to do it well—particularly on the first try—then patience is a must, and a few minutes spent thinking about it pays big dividends.

I betcha’ that’s one of the reasons that the demographics among woodworkers tends toward slightly older people. Young whipper-snappers want it all done yesterday :-)

-- -- Neil

check out Tom Hintz’s take on it http://www.newwoodworker.com/glulinbits.html

-- Fred, Springfield, Ma

Thank you, Fred.

I’m a BIG fan of Tom’s site, but … even doing a Google search … didn’t find that page.

I’m on it !!

-- -- Neil

Hey Neil, I feel your pain. I have one like it by Freud and have had no luck getting dead on. I have come pretty close but would still have to do some sanding. They sell the set up blocks for the bits and I have considered getting me some.

-- I don't make mistakes, I have great learning lessons, Greg

Here’s a video from MLCS.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks again, Dick!

I have this feeling … and others (like Greg) are reinforcing the feeling … that using this bit is going to be simple (as in … not many steps, and not overly complicated), but NOT easy LOL !

That vid was very helpful. I overlooked the simple idea that the setup block would ALSO serve to reference your fence placement. Makes sense !

My goal, for tomorrow, is to try to CREATE my setup blocks. I’ll get a fair amount of 1/2” and 3/4” scrap, and give it a try. I’ll post my results.

-- -- Neil

Neil, for me the set blocks would not make a diff. That is certainly not a new science by any stretch. Just that most of my panel buildups are forcabinet doors and the like. I use shapers for pretty much everything like that and glueline knives for shapers have proved to be a bit pricy and time consuming for little return. For me (in most cases) having a perfectly true plane where boards are joined is a non-issue as they typically go through the planer. Have a good one! JB

I personally think the glue joint bit is a terrific wast of money, materials and time.
Money spent on the bit!
Wasted material…you need to allow extra material for machining!
Wasted time…for all the extra steps I will be done with a panel before you could begin the glue up!
It’s supposed to add strength with more surface area but with modern glues it’s not necessary.

After 40 years in the field starting as a cabinet maker and presently a technician/problem solver I’ve done every glue up technique out there. For the hobby and small shop you can’t beat the curved caul method for gluing panels. Perfect registration and all you need to do is remove the glue beads and sand. I ALWAYS plane stock to finish dimension before the glue up so there is no need to have a 30” planer to finsih dimension panels. Basicaly my rule of thumb is you don’t need a planer any wider than your jointer. 12” planer/jointer is ideal. Also I never use biscuits or splines with the curved caul method. Also make your own cauls…just silly to buy such a thing. If one can’t make cauls then one can’t make furniture…period!

-- Few folks really know how to maximize the potential of their tools!