Joining sections of maple counter top

I should also add that the finished top is 40mm thick. I should have enough room to use the bolts.

Also, this is the island top I just finished:

Preserved

You might run into trouble with different amounts of shrinkage doing it like that. That can be avoided by mitering the corners at 22.5°.

I have a worktop mitering jig with the template for sinking the worktop connector bolts. Nothing special, bought it off ebay. It’s a system that works very well, use biscuits between bolts to aid alignment.

You might find this interesting, I posed a similar question not so long ago. http://lumberjocks.com/topics/45055

The bolts are ideal because they will in fact allow differential contraction and expansion. There are the cheapie ones, just a 1/4” bolt with a threaded block and a dummy block.

the nicer ones use a millimetric hole, likely what you’re thinking of.

Using these, and dry biscuits for alignment, your grain direction differences will not be a concern. You can glue up the corner piece with aesthetics as the only driver.

Beautiful work on the island, BTW. You make us all proud!

Kindly,

Lee

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

I agree with Lee

-- http://artisticwoodstudio.com Custom furniture

Get the ones that fit in a 1 3/8” hole on either side of the joint. Lee Valley has ‘em for about $2.80/10 units.
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us

Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice. I don’t think I’ll go with the 22.5 degree miters since I’ve got some parts of this built already and didn’t account for the extra length from a 90. Looks like that would have been a great option though. Looks like it worked great for the other project in the above link.

And thanks for the links to those connectors…what would we do without the internet. Remember catalogs?

Preserved.

If you have countertop shop locally, ask about their drawbolts that they use for joining preformed plastic laminate countertops together with. Sometimes the big box stores carry them if they sell the countertops. I have used them in the past for joining solid wood countertops together. All you need is a router with a straight bit and a 7/16 open end wrench. Usually 3 to 4 drawbolts per joint will do it.

-- frosty