Jointing boards A question about THICK boards

[Cliff]

I started a project  some YEARS ago. It's been on a bench for a while  one thing led to another and  I am only now thinking about getting back to it.

 

It's 2.5" thick Walnut boards. I wonder if I am insane.  I got this  bug to make a really thick table top for a 9  foot long table  in two halves lengthwise.

 

I did the math and  at that thickness I should be working  with widths around 8" or so. 

 

I am just a little unsure about the joining of the boards thing.  I know my jointer is good.  It's a shellix in a 12" Hammer   It does a nice job  but I'm still a little  shaky about joining  such thick lumber.

 

I mean there is no way my pony or bessy clamps will pull anything together.  So if the machining  isn't absolutely perfect  I won't be able to tighten a clamp and  squeeze it into place. 

 

Am I insane?

Should I just go for it and see?   The worst that can happen is I won't like it & I'll  re-rip it and  change something.

[Danl]

IMO

When I plane long boards I ask a friend to assist me.  Usually do not have an issue with the 1st pass, but as the board becomes flatter to the plane surface it becomes more difficult to move across the cutters.

 

A table of that size is going to have some weight.  I would definitely have a game plan for moving it around in the shop and then into the house.

 

Time to purchase clamps which will apply the force needed to pull the boards together.  

Danl

 

[lew]

I think the length would be more of a problem than the thickness, unless your joiner is an 8’ model. 
 

Another approach might be to joint the edges on the table saw. I think someone makes a blade specifically for that application. 

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I agree with the above, planing/jointing 9' boards like that will be a real test. Then someone mentioned the weight of the top....according to a wood weight calculator I found it will scale in at almost 250# (if it's 38" or so wide) so what danl said about moving it definitely needs to be considered. I think I'd rework the plan to make things more manageable. After it's assembled you will still probably working with to shape the outside edges, round the corners, etc. Even doing that will be a 2 person job,

Edited August 20, 2023 by Fred W. Hargis Jr

[Masonsailor]

Ditto on Fred’s advice. I have the 16” version of your planer and you can definitely jointer 9’ lumber and get it close enough to glue up. What type of Bessey and pony clamps do you have ? If they are 3/4” pipe clamps they are more than enough. Figure one clamp per foot of board. I don’t know what your shop layout is but you can make very effective extension tables for the Hammer jointer. You can also buy them but I think they are about $500 each. I made mine for about $50. Happy to send photos if you want. My process for getting perfect glue joints is first jointer them as straight as you can. Without an extension table you will need a second set of hands. The second part of the process is to rip them on the table saw. You need to make a minimum of a 48” fence extension for your saw. This allows you to straighten them even further. When you rip them you want to take a maximum cut about 1/32 of an inch off each side. As you cut them put a mark on the top of each board and keep that side up for both cuts. During the gluing process you will invert each board so that the marks you made will be one up and one down on alternating boards. This compensates for any small inaccuracy that your saw may have and prevent any arcing or bowing during the gluing process. If you have a biscuit joiner it will make the glue up a lot easier. Dominoes even better. 
Paul

Edited August 20, 2023 by Masonsailor

[forty_caliber]

I know a man that made a conference room table 16' long 5' wide and 6" thick.  He joined sycamore flitches from his sawmill to make the top.  These were too big and heavy to move through a jointer or planer.  Instead he used a track saw to run the joint between the flitches.  Lined up perfectly.  Looked like it had been fit with a jointer. 

 

.40

[Masonsailor]

If you have a 2 or 3hp router you can build an edge jointer with an 8 foot bed for the price of one sheet of melamine and it will give you perfectly straight edges on 10-12’ boards. We have used one for years. My son has it in his shop now. He used it to do exactly what you are doing except he used 8/4 hickory. We built a house that called for all interior doors to be 8’ and it was the only way we could build the doors without spending a fortune. It works very well. Again  I can post photos if anyone is interested. It bolts to the side of a workbench and then hangs on the wall when you need the workbench space. 
Paul

[Gene Howe]

1 hour ago, Masonsailor said:

If you have a 2 or 3hp router you can build an edge jointer with an 8 foot bed for the price of one sheet of melamine and it will give you perfectly straight edges on 10-12’ boards. We have used one for years. My son has it in his shop now. He used it to do exactly what you are doing except he used 8/4 hickory. We built a house that called for all interior doors to be 8’ and it was the only way we could build the doors without spending a fortune. It works very well. Again  I can post photos if anyone is interested. It bolts to the side of a workbench and then hangs on the wall when you need the workbench space. 
Paul

Yes!!! Please do that. Much appreciated. 

[Cal]

19 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Yes!!! Please do that. Much appreciated. 

 

I'll second that request for the pics!

[Masonsailor]

I will start a thread over on the machinery forum today. 
Paul

[Cliff]

I must have posed the question badly/

I am concerned about the small imperfections in the  edge jointing and the  impossibility of pulling  very thick lumber together.

 

I have pieces that are over 2" thick and 8 or so inches wide ( based on a ratio derived from  the norm of 3/4' thick and 3" wide boards)

 

I'm somewhat concerned that no amount of clamp pressure will move that much wood. but I ant to build the table up from those pieces. 

[lew]

Cliff, When I think of Jointing I think of the edge of the piece. Is that what you mean

[Gerald]

4 hours ago, Cliff said:

I must have posed the question badly/

I am concerned about the small imperfections in the  edge jointing and the  impossibility of pulling  very thick lumber together.

 

I have pieces that are over 2" thick and 8 or so inches wide ( based on a ratio derived from  the norm of 3/4' thick and 3" wide boards)

 

I'm somewhat concerned that no amount of clamp pressure will move that much wood. but I ant to build the table up from those pieces. 

Usually when adding you only need to make the edge look thicker. This is a common practice and only needs a narrow strip which is no proplem clamping.

[John Morris]

On 8/19/2023 at 7:21 PM, Cliff said:

Should I just go for it and see?

Cliff, go for it and see, with a dry fit, whaddya got to lose?

 

[Cliff]

9 hours ago, lew said:

Is that what you mean

yup

 

[Cliff]

2 hours ago, John Morris said:

Cliff, go for it and see, with a dry fit, whaddya got to lose?

What have I got to lose?  A little effort is all.  Yah I'll go for it.

[John Morris]

48 minutes ago, Cliff said:

A little effort is all.

 Yep. And some experience gained.

[lew]

2 hours ago, Cliff said:

yup

 

Your jointer must have at least an 8 foot bed. I'd set up an infeed and outfeed roller at about 4 feet from each end that should support the pieces as you run them thru.

[John Morris]

By the way Cliff, I have clamped some pretty big thick boards with my pipe clamps, slab long grain to long grain after jointed and did it successfully, I'd set my pipe wrench on the turn handles for leverage and it worked really well. You can really "wrench" down on those handles, I've given it a whole lot of pressure by getting that extra turn or two in that I couldn't do with my bare hands and close gaps beautifully.

[Cliff]

14 hours ago, lew said:

8 foot bed

that part's easy  I've just never glued up this thick before and I want seams so tight that  one can't see 'em. 

Edited January 3, 2024 by Cliff