# Gaps in table top



## brotherriver (Feb 20, 2019)

Hi all,

Beginner woodworker, this is my first time posting here. I'm in the process of building a maple top table with steel legs and I've been having trouble getting clean glue lines. I've tried adjusting the outfeed table using a ruler and it seems to be sitting at the right height, but the gaps persist. Any help will be appreciated.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Outfeed table on what tool? Are you using a jointer?

Sometimes the jointer fence can be the slightest bit out of true, if you joint the top face of the board on the right against the fence and then the bottom face of the board on the left against the fence, you can cancel out any slight variations.


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## Firewood (Dec 4, 2013)

Assuming you are referring to the jointer, double check the height of the knives in relation to the outfeed table. When you place a small scrap piece on the outfeed table and over the knife, it should only advance about 1/8" or so when manually rotating the cutter head. Also, you mentioned you checked the outfeed table with a ruler - make sure the infeed and outfeed tables are coplaner their full length. Hope this helps.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Assuming you are referring to the jointer, double check the height of the knives in relation to the outfeed table. When you place a small scrap piece on the outfeed table and over the knife, it should only advance about 1/8" or so when manually rotating the cutter head. Also, you mentioned you checked the outfeed table with a ruler - *make sure the infeed and outfeed tables are coplaner their full length*. Hope this helps.
> 
> - Firewood


Wanted to highlight this here. On mine, checking with a short ruler was fine, but once I layed a straightedge(4' drywall square) that went the whole way across the length, I noticed it had a belly. Both edges sagged just a tad. After adjusting it works much better. https://www.woodmagazine.com/tuning-up-your-jointer


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Dry clamp the top together and see if the gaps close. If they do, then just glue it up.


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## brotherriver (Feb 20, 2019)

Yes, jointer, sorry. Thanks for the all advice, alternating between faces against the fence seems to have done the trick.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Well the good news is if that did the trick, then your fence is the culprit and needs to get to 90*


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## brotherriver (Feb 20, 2019)

Jointer got a full tune up just to be sure everything was sitting how it's supposed to be. Thanks again


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