Subject is a 27" wide by  24" long glue up "doughboard".

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem: Sticks #1 & #3 (cherry) when glued to board #0 were "off" by about 1/64 to 1/32". Being higher,thicker, than board #0 (soft maple). Boards #3 &4 are black limba. The rest of the boards are purple heart, cherry, walnut & zebrawood.

 

Before anyone goes crazy---I do as I'm told! She wanted those species. Period.

 

So---how you you deal with the unevenness?
I wound up sanding the heck out of the intersection of the woods.This resulted in the black limba having a detectable depression. Not by sight but by feel.
But on reflection I think I could have:
a) used a hand plane
b) probably used a cabinet scraper
c) sanded the crap out of it.

So again how do you deal with it??

thks
smitty

Hand plane would have been good. Work the high spots out. Now what kind of hand plane?

 

@steven newman 

Edited June 19, 20206 yr by Gunny

#4, #5, #7

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 20206 yr by smitty10101

26 minutes ago, smitty10101 said:

#4, #5, #7

 

 

 

Newman would know better but I would think the #7 would be good.

#7...maybe...at the diagonals....then the #5 with the grain....at the glue joints....tidy up with the #4....

That depression is caused by planing / sanding before the glue line is cured. Carpenters glue is water based. The water in the glue causes the wood at the joint to swell slightly. When this swollen joint is planed or sanded before the glue cures (completely dry) this will allow the now flat joint to shrink below level when the glue is cured.

 

Nice board,

Do you mean like this?

 

 

 

There is also a way to flatten boards with a belt sander.  Mark the surface with a pencil, run over it with the belt sander and see what is left.  You will have to repeat this process to see what pencil marks remain.  Then you know you have to hit all those sanded spots again as they are the high points.  Although, I have never used a plane, I suppose the same idea goes into effect by using the pencil marks again then plane to see what is left.  

 

If you have access to a large planer or drum sander, you can use them.  Did I understand the question correctly?

 

 

 I did a large ranch table a couple of years ago.  I flattened it with a belt sander.  Really didn’t take that long.

Gator's posted video is my preferred method. 

I'd probably go with the router sled as well...mostly because I already have one built.

Edited June 20, 20206 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

57 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I'd probably go with the router sled as well...mostly because I already have one built.

For all of you that have built/use the router sled method

 

How do you store a jig that would accommodate a glue up that size (27x24) ?

Or do you break it down & rebuild it when you need it again?

 

Thinking about that question---you really only need to store the "sled" part, not the runners that go the length of the glue up.

 

Router bit used?? a bowl cutter? or a dado bit ? or something else?

 

9 hours ago, FlGatorwood said:

 

 

 

 

If you have access to a large planer or drum sander, you can use them.  Did I understand the question correctly?

 

 

Not with the lock down in progress. Hopefully, soon the guild will be reopened & access to the bigger machine will be available----hopefully!

Fred I believe everyone needs a router sled at one time or the other so why not make one for future use. These things will save a mountain of labor even if a person uses a big drum sander for the final passes then some sort of a sander to take out the drum sander marks...  And building one is really simple.. So I'm with you Fred but I get to be the driver.

9 hours ago, Gerald said:

That depression is caused by planing / sanding before the glue line is cured. 

 

I don't think cure time was a factor. It was in clamps overnight so the glue should have set up. But possibly the difference in densities of the adjoining woods might have resulted in different absorption of the glue.

I really think the depression(s) were caused by overeager use of the ROS to try to get the cherry flush with the mating board.

I was so damned concerned with getting the boards even during the glue ups that my brain never got into thinking about the methods to flatten it when all was said & done.

 

9 hours ago, Gerald said:

 

 

Nice board,

Thks but SWMBO picked the wood & brainstormed the layout. I only supplied the labor & $$$.

Hmm

No. 7c, working the diagonal

No. 414c Jack plane...working around that knot

Bottom shelf...

Sometimes, just the No. 6 will do.  

And then tidy up with a #3....

Some wood vendors will run your project through their (usually larger) drum sander for a reasonable fee.  In the true spirit of DIY, I've used a belt sander.

Not every one has wood venders that close to depend on and besides woodworkers should learn to take care of their own problems.

  Its nice Steven showed what it would take if a person happens to own many different wood planes much less know how to use one..

 I for one have quite a few planes sitting on the shelves but they are just for looks and am too far past the learning age what ever that might be.  

 

1 hour ago, smitty10101 said:

Thinking about that question---you really only need to store the "sled" part, not the runners that go the length of the glue up.

 

Router bit used?? a bowl cutter? or a dado bit ? or something else?

 

As you surmised, I only keep the "bridge", and cobble to runners together when i use it. In the pic you can see (I think) cobwebs on the sled which shows how long it's been since I've used it. My bridge is 31" across, so it would handle your board across the 24" dimension, but probably not the 27" dimension.For the bit I used to use a straight bit I have that cuts 1" wide.  But you can buy flattening bits, and there's a whole new crop of them available now that cut as wide as 2". Just search "router flattening bits".

 

Just a tip:  When gluing, the water from the glue causes the wood to absorb the glue and swell.  I have had folks to complain that they can see a ghost image of a biscuit in the boards at the joints.  If you let the glue dry 2 or 3 days, this swelling goes down then it is time to surface.  If you have the laminated boards in an air conditioned area, the glue will dry quicker.  Yes, it sets in about 30 minutes, but it is not dry.  

 

Thanks, Gerald, for bringing up this point.