# Cauls when using dowles



## jimmyjj (Nov 20, 2011)

I am planning a glue up of a ~40" x 6' table top. I plan to use dowels on this, since I have already purchased a dowling tool. I do not have cuals, but was thinking of making a few from 2×4 according to a few of the designs on LJ's.

Relatedly, I have a series of hand-me-down pipe clamps, some of which are not 100% straight. Before I drop $200 on a few 90degree clamps, would it impact much if the pipes are not perfectly straight, given the existing dowels, and potentially cuals?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Jimmy
I never use dowels ,biscuits or anything but glue to glue up table tops,glue is stronger than wood.Just use your pipe clamps and alternate clamps on the bottom and on the top. I usually start in the middle.


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

If you're using dowels to keep things in alignment you won't really need the cauls althogh they won't hurt.
As a1Jim says you don't need the dowels for joint strength ( they don't add much any way). With clamps that aren't straight you definetely need cauls if you don't use the dowels.


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## NoThanks (Mar 19, 2014)

I would use the dowels/biscuits and the cauls. The pipes won't matter if they are straight or not. Just try to line up the material in the center of the clamp pads so that they pull evenly. The dowels will save you a lot of headache trying to line up everything flush before the glue starts to set up. 40" = what, 5-8 boards? Lot of seams to get flush if your doing the glue up all at once. Otherwise, if your doing 3 board sections at a time you might not need dowels.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

*Iwud4u* Properly used the cauls will flush the boards for you.. it is quite easy to to a 5 or 8 board glue up with proper technique, good cauls, and some extend glue doesn't hurt either  I agree with *A1* that dowels and other such things are not needed with good cauls and techniqe. This glue up is almost 40" and has 17 boards.


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## NoThanks (Mar 19, 2014)

Agree!
For some reason I was just picturing cauls at both ends.


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## woodchuckerNJ (Dec 4, 2013)

Jimmy, when gluing with pipe clamps, or any clamp that won't guarantee 90.
You can beat the problem by using dowels against the wood.
Center the dowel on the edge of the wood now clamp.. you will have the clamp pull exactly centered.
So now you don't pull the panel out of alignment.

See Pic..


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## guitchess (Mar 31, 2008)

I would add my vote for the cauls as well. They make life so much easier, especially when using pipe clamps.

A cheap alternative to those expensive clamps you mentioned are the HF aluminum bar clamps. http://www.harborfreight.com/aluminum-bar-clamp-60540.html

The Cadillac of clamps, these are not. They do, in my experience, make flat panel glue ups easier than pipe clamps and cauls. I also find it nice that they are light enough to keep a clamped panel from weighing 300lbs, which makes it easier to move out of the way to work on something else. I usually use a mix of these and pipe clamps. These act as the cauls, so external ones aren't necessary.

I don't want to start a "thing", so if you have the money, buy the good ones. If not, give these a try.


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