# Wanted... Tips for gluing up larger panels



## MrWoody (Jan 25, 2008)

I would like to know how others edge glue boards for larger pieces.
I usually use sheet goods for wider boards, but some projects do require solid woods.
How do you do it ?
What clamps, glue, how much glue, or any others tips you can think ?
A video blog would be fantastic.


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## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

well i like to use parallel clamps for all my glue ups but if you don't have parallel clamps or ones that are big enough than pipe clamps are a quick and easy solution.

for glue i usually use Titebond 2 for all my glue ups and it hasn't failed me yet

for amount or glue i put as much as i can on and cover the whole surface to be glued in a thick layer and then crank the clamps down and you should be good.


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

Theres likely a lot of differnt methods

I place my planks on saw horses (perpendicular to the horse) and do a test first, one clamp to make sure the joints close with little effort, also look at the grain to match it up as nice as possible.

I number the joints in pencil, #1 to #1, #2 to #2 and so on

I cut biscuits into the edge near the bottom so that glue in the biscuit doesnt expand and show down the road. The cookies/biscuits keep the boards lined up and even.

I get enough bar clamps so that have one for every foot of length.

Fill a glue bottle (I use tite bond III as its water proof when set, has a longer open time and is brownish in colour and it doesnt clog up sand paper)

I tip the boards on edge and put a dab of glue in each biscuit hole and insert the biscuits (this stops the glue from draining out). I then turn the boards on its oppiste edge with cookies facing down. I then put a dab of glue in the balance of the cookie holes. Then a place two thick beads of glue down the edges that need it using myopposite hand to keep the beads straight and then smooth the glue with my index to cover the entire edge. It isnt neccassary to glue the edge of the last board which I leave flat on the horses

One by one I put the boards together and then starting at the middle of the panel apply pipe clamps with just enough pressure to close the joint. From the center working out I alternate pipe clamps, one on top, one below, one on top, one below….......etc

I often go back and place a cookie under the clamps on what would be the exposed surface of the panel so that the glue, that squeezes out, doesnt touch the clamp leaving the a black mark.

I remove the excess glue with a wet rag or I wait until it gels and scrap it off.

Cheers


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

A common error is that folks put so much pressure on the clamps that it forces all the glue out which can cause joint failure down the road. You only need enough pressure to "close" the joint…plus a small pinch but dont crank it for all your worth. If the joint wont close by applying moderate force then the joint wasn't good to begin with. You want the glue to saturate the wood fibres, The faster you glue it up, as a rule, the stronger the joints.


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

and one more thing. I sometimes get four "straight boards, 1' wide by the width of the panel. When done glueing up clamping…....on each end, I place one on top and one on the bottom and clamp them flat to ensure even ends on the panel


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## TampaTom (Feb 15, 2008)

Roman - While I do sometimes reach for biscuits for edge-gluing, I've found they aren't always 100% necessary. With a well edge planed board, you can do nicely with just straight clamp pressure. However, a few biscuits to align longer boards never hurts!


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## jeffthewoodwacker (Dec 26, 2007)

Like some of the others I use biscuits after putting the cutting pattern on the boards to determine biscuit location. I keep a damp sponge handy and wipe up the excess squeeze out to make the clean up easier. On pieces that will be stained I will put blue painters tape as close to the joint as possible.


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## Popintraining (Nov 22, 2007)

I use pipe clamps for all of our glue-ups. The one thing to remember is use clamps on both sides of the board. This will help keep the board flat and if the glue isn't squeezing out, there's not enough


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

I also use a lot of cauls and C-clamps to hold it flat. Furniture wax on the cauls will keep them from sticking to the glue.


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## MrWoody (Jan 25, 2008)

I would like to thank everyone for your input.
I have enough cut offs to try them all and decide which I like best.
I will post pictures once it's done.


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## Dadoo (Jun 23, 2007)

#20 bisquets…and gravy! Sorry…It's breakfast time here! Bisquets will align your boards and are easier than dowels. That Festool Domino might be alright too, but I haven't experience with one because I prefer to stay happily married. "Happily married"...That's an oxymoron ain't it?


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## skozub (Feb 9, 2008)

I'd agree with folks to use cauls for sure…thick cauls that run across the boards then clamped with C-clamps will help keep the board even (even if you use biscuits I suggest cauls). I recommend a thick caul b/c thinner pieces won't do much to distribute even pressure across the boards. You can either use wax as Thos. Angle noted or put some clear packing tape across the length to help prevent it from sticking.

Nobody else noted it but it should be a standard practice for all woodworkers. Perhaps something we all do (read: should) but I'll mention it again: dry run assembly. Don't just toss glue on these pieces and go at it…make sure you do a dry run to see how the board come together. It also gets all your clamps together so you real glue up goes forward with a little less stress.

I use pipe clamps for all my glue ups and haven't had a problem yet. As a rule of thumb tighten them no more than your weak hand can go without much effort (for me I use my left hand to tighten before I reach the limit).

I always let my glue set up for about a hour or longer then scrap it off before tossing the clamp up in the corner overnight. I've found this to work much better than trying to clean up later.

Good luck!


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## Pretzel (Feb 23, 2008)

best deal I've found is to use a glue-joint bit and table router. Amana tool sells them, bit works great, creates a very good joint.


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## Al_Killian (Feb 15, 2008)

For large panels, I use a locking joint bit or biscuits. This helps with lineing up the boards. To help keep them flat, I use a couple of peices of angle iron acroos the boards. This will keep the boards flat.


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## Greg3G (Mar 20, 2007)

I use biscuts for alignment (fastest solution I've found so far) but if the wood is less than 3/4" thick, I don't glue the biscuts. They are just in there for alignment anyway. I use pipe clamps alternating from top to bottom spaced close enough so if you were to put a 45 deg out from each clamp, they woud intersect the next clamp before they meet at the glue joint. I also use cauls across the ends of the panels. I don't put biscuts within 6 to 8 inches from the ends so the cauls help keep the ends flat (once had few go wild on me, not pretty)

I use Titebond III for glue, mainly because I use it a lot for cutting boards and never got around to getting anything else. Don't use poly glue (Gorilla) it's very weak and I've had a few glue ups fail because of it. I put on the glue with an acid brush on both sides, probably over kill but better safe than sorry. I never wipe glue while it's wet, it can leave a glue mark that you may not catch until you finish the project. Its safer to scrape it off after it sets up a bit (turns sort of rubbery) or wait till it dries completely and scrape it down.


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## Lakey (Jan 27, 2008)

I've never been much of a biscuit fan myself (prefer splines), but for sure, cauls are a must, one on each end. You can get as fancy as you want with them, but I use pine. 2×4s that have been smoothed and jointed. The bottom caul should be flat, and the top should have a slight convexity, so that when you clamp them (across the boards, on on top, one below) the top caul distributes pressure evenly. I also put clear packing tape on them so the glue doesn't stick. I prop the panel up on glue blocks (also pine, also covered with packing tape.) Clamp your panels together with parellel clamps (like the Bessey K-body) if you have them, but if you don't - pipe clamps or whatever you have in the shop. (If you don't have clamps, you can make a wedge-clamping jig.) Use good ol' Titebond, buttering both edges of the boards, but not overdoing it. Tighten the clamps until you get a bit of squeeze out, clamp down the cauls, and if necessary, give the seam a few whacks with a dead-blow mallet just to be sure everthing is even. I dont remove the squeeze out until it's mostly dry - if you try wiping it off, you just get a big old smear. It comes off easily when dry with a card scraper or a #80. Let us know how it comes out!


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## Gofor (Jan 12, 2008)

I guess I use an unorthodox method. I glue up large boards vertically. I clamp the bottom one in a "workmate" with the ends hangin over both sides (I check with a level to get the bottom board vertical (plumb) and level). If the edges are square and straight, the boards will sit on top of each other after a little "rubbing in" of the wet glue joint (ie sliding the boards a little against each other until the glue starts to get sticky - I also use Titebond II or III). After I get as many as I feel comfortable with, I clamp and caul the overhanging ends. At this point, the assembly can be laid flat for any needed clamps/cauls in the center.
The advantages of this method:
1. Before glue up it is easy to see any bad joints as light will show between the boards, or they will rock or pivot easily on each other. I fine tune with a plane until they match perfectly and set firm.
2. You can easily see and have access to both sides to correct any misalignment before the glue sets.

However it is a technique you will want to dry run first until you get comfortable with it.

Just a thought,

Go


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## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

just another thing. like some other people said it is a good idea to clamp a scrap board across the joints to make sure the boards are flat.


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## grumpycarp (Feb 23, 2008)

For what it's worth Fine Woodworking did an article last year Nov/Dec #194 debunking the myth of glue starving a joint. The conclusion was that with common woodworking clamps, F-style, bar clamps, pipe clamps, etc. it is simply not possible to starve a joint. Period. 
And my own two cents, biscuits don't do jack for strengthening an edge joint (long grain to long grain) the wood will fail before the glue so their only use is in alignment and they don't do that very well. Cauls do a far better job of keeping the boards in plane. Wax paper is a quick way to keep from gluing them to your work. Here's a 24in. by 20ft. glue up of redwood being glued to a laminate backer. It has already been edge glued in a previous operation. This is a lamination process not a edge joining process but the principle with the cauls is the same except clamping force would also be applied across the assembly. The cauls are all tapered with the straight edge up as per the above post.


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## schroeder (Feb 8, 2007)

Woody - looks like you got a lot of good ideas going for you here - the only thing I would add is…on the dry fit, I clamp it up tight and then rub parafin wax where each joint comes together. Glue squeeze-out won't stick, makes clean up a breeze!


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## gardentiger (Apr 7, 2010)

being in a health field that requires a tremendous amount of bonding to organic surfaces…specifically dentin and enamel. I can tell you that a thinner adhesive layer will almost always give you a better bond. You are attempting to glue wood to wood, not wood to glue to wood. Starving the joint is a myth.


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## gargey (Apr 11, 2016)

> being in a health field that requires a tremendous amount of bonding to organic surfaces…specifically dentin and enamel. I can tell you that a thinner adhesive layer will almost always give you a better bond. You are attempting to glue wood to wood, not wood to glue to wood. Starving the joint is a myth.
> 
> - gardentiger


BOOOM!!!!


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