On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 05:46:43 -0400, "Owen Lawrence"
wrote:
I lay the boards on my pipe clamps and just sitting there, some of them
mate perfectly with their neighbours. But one or two boards have the
slightest bow. I'm thinking I can clamp a pair of pine cauls on each edge
to pull them back. I'll cover the seams with wax paper so I don't end up
gluing the cauls to the panel with the squeeze-out. Any objections?
Skip the paper, use paste wax (or better yet, Waxilit) or blue tape on
the cauls. Wax paper can spread and seal in the squeeze out.
I won't be staining this wood, but I haven't decided on a finish.
(Please help me do that.)
What's it for? The use of a part has a great deal of weight on finish
choice. This is a good second thread.
Should I apply the finish to the outer surfaces
first, before the glue-up, so the squeeze-out doesn't doesn't fill in the
pores?
Not necessary, but you can. Doing so may make the overall finishing
process more difficult.
I see Norm always wiping it away with a damp sponge, like the
instructions on the bottle, but I can never seem to get at what's under the
pipe clamps. This time there will be 11 of them, alternating under and over
the panel. What do you usually do?
I let the glue dry to a "snot" consistency and trim it off with a
sharp chisel or plane iron (without the plane). A wet sponge will
push it into the wood. Properly jointed edges will allow very little
glue to show. What you can't get under the cauls can be scraped later
with a sharp card or paint scraper.
Can't get the edges jointed as well as you'd like? put small chamfers
on them and make the joints a design feature.
I've got half a bottle of Lee Valley cabinet maker's glue left, and a
new bottle of yellow carpenter's glue. (Side question; is there any
difference between LV cabinet maker's glue and Titebond III? It's almost
irrelevant because I can't find Titebond III anywhere around Ottawa except
LV.) Since this is such a visible part of the project, should I prefer
white glue?
The main difference between the LV and TBIII are dried color and water
resistance, the TBIII may have a slightly longer open time. Check the
labels for exact details. I don't use white glue much, so I'll leave
that to others.
But a few of the boards destined for these large panels have
some ugly looking tearouts, gouges where the aggressive contractor must have
used a crowbar. And there are a few large knots and splits threatening to
leave the scene later. I'm thinking about filling them with epoxy. Good
idea? Bad idea? Alternatives? Should I learn to make a dutchman? Too
many questions?
It's ALL about the look! Some defects can add tremendous character.
On the other hand, filling too deep with epoxy will look strange, so
I'd lean towards a dutchman over large defects that can't enhance teh
look. Try your ideas on scrap, and see what YOU like.
Do dry runs of the glue-up until you're super comfortable, if
necessary, writing down step-by-step procedures. If you need to, get
some slow setting glue, like TB Extend.
You can also break the glue-up into smaller steps, say gluing two
boards, then joining those two in a second session.
Practice EVERYTHING you're not comfortable with on something other
than your project.
---------------------------------------------
**
http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------