acr_scout Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) Hello all, I have finally accumulated enough solid wood to build a custom bookcase. The wood i have for the top is not long enought. I want to glue it up to make the top but how do I handle the butt ends? Edited December 8, 2017 by Ron Dudelston tags added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morris Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 ACR, I would not butt the ends, I'd use a different method to disguise the lack of material, first of all, how short are you on the material? What is the missing length? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyDan Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Finger jointing can be an acceptable way of butt joining boards. http://www.performancetoolcenter.com/freud-99-037-finger-joint-router-bit-1-3-8-inch-diameter-w-1-2-inch-shank/?gclid=CKOV8eX-1dECFYNKXgodgTUNTg I did a staggered joint glue up for a bar top with just butt jointed ends that has held up for years. Similar to this. lew 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallpatch Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Dan I think you are mighty lucky to still be happy with the way your bar top looks today. I think this is the main reason people putting plywood together does not have ends sticking out in the middle for this is where stress would ruin everything. Flooring is an exception but they leave cracks and grooves everywhere because it will happen. Just a thought but don't worry about what I think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 https://www.woodcraft.com/products/freud-99-037-finger-jointing-router-bit-1-2-shank-1-9-16-cl?gclid=Cj0KEQiAzZHEBRD0ivi9_pDzgYMBEiQAtvxt-MbrE5e3_TDrdMo4orOZouVq-P-SC2GfsdP05o4VQWcaAnhZ8P8HAQ HARO50 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 waste less and spline the butts... build a panel from the left overs and spline the edges too... SPLINES.pdf John Moody, HARO50 and Cal 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyDan Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 28 minutes ago, Smallpatch said: Just a thought but don't worry about what I think? It's a deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 32 minutes ago, Smallpatch said: Just a thought but don't worry about what I think? okay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morris Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Once ACR can determine how much he is short on the length, if it's just a few inches, he could instead put a classy bread board ends on the top to make up for the difference, and not deal with any joints. HARO50, John Moody, Stick486 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 3 minutes ago, John Morris said: Once ACR can determine how much he is short on the length, if it's just a few inches, he could instead put a classy bread board ends on the top to make up for the difference, and not deal with any joints. good plan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 cross cut it in two and insert a perpendicular pierce in the center of the board.. John Moody and John Morris 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morris Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 For @ACR_SCOUT Source: http://imgur.com/gallery/F18E0 HARO50, Stick486, PeteM and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morris Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 3 minutes ago, Stick486 said: cross cut it in two and insert a perpendicular pierce in the center of the board.. That too, nice look indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAB Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 don't cheap out, buy the proper lumber. small pieces are for small projects. you're going to look at and use this thing for many, many years. do it right. HARO50 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acr_scout Posted January 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 1 hour ago, lew said: https://www.woodcraft.com/products/freud-99-037-finger-jointing-router-bit-1-2-shank-1-9-16-cl?gclid=Cj0KEQiAzZHEBRD0ivi9_pDzgYMBEiQAtvxt-MbrE5e3_TDrdMo4orOZouVq-P-SC2GfsdP05o4VQWcaAnhZ8P8HAQ Nomination for best advice because I could buy a new bit for the router. lew, LarryS and HARO50 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 5 minutes ago, ACR_SCOUT said: Nomination for best advice because I could buy a new bit for the router. get a slot cutter too... http://www.freudtools.com/products/product/61-102 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acr_scout Posted January 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 1 hour ago, John Morris said: Once ACR can determine how much he is short on the length, if it's just a few inches, he could instead put a classy bread board ends on the top to make up for the difference, and not deal with any joints. Eww. I didn't think of it this way. I need to do a sketchup to figure out exactly what I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acr_scout Posted January 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 1 hour ago, DAB said: don't cheap out When I build stuff, I like it to have a story? See this top will be made from the Leftovers of the lamps I built for the wife. John Moody, Chips N Dust and Fred W. Hargis Jr 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 bread board = slot cutter... fast..simple...less waste.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAB Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 i built a bar top, only 9" wide, for our kitchen island wall (rises about 9" above the countertop) a few years ago. intended to make it out of 8/4 lumber, but the pieces i could secure were all too warped, they wouldn't lay flat. what to do? ended up recutting the lumber to about 2-1/4" wide, 1/4" thick strips. built a base of 2 layers of 3/4 plywood, then glued the lumber to the plywood, staggering the butt joints. they haven't moved in 4 years yet. the bar top is about 11 feet long, so there was no way i was going to be able to get an 11 foot long piece of 8/4 lumber to come out right. pic below shows the finished island and bar top. used pieces on the top as well as the sides to hide the plywood core. sometimes, you have to change your design to fit the wood and situation you have to deal with. HARO50, HandyDan, LarryS and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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