Jack wrote:

On 4/15/2012 9:44 PM, Bill wrote:
Bill wrote:

When I first started coming to the Wreck, a little before I "got
interested" in shop renovation, Lew helped me formulate the idea of
making a 6-7 foot workbench top by glueing together, face-to-face, a
bunch of 2-by dimensional lumber (SYP, 2by10s, ripped in half).

Being naive, I almost believed my glue-ups would be almost as nice as my
pictures. Now, being more familiar with jointers, I fear
"near-disaster", if I don't joint at one edge (which will end up on the
top) and the faces too. I have been encouraged to run glue-ups of 4
boards, say, through my planer, and I can see how that could help, but I
can see how things could work out a whole lot better if all of the
boards went through a jointer first, before and after glueing--not that
I have one.

Bill


Just curious, who would recommend me to use (or not use) a jointer for
this project (thinking the process and results would be better)?

With all due respect, I'll put Mike M. and Beltsander-Jack down for
"Ney". Any "Ayes"?

"Belt sander" Jack used a jointer, then used a belt sander, and it still
waved at him. A novice Jointing 8' cut in half 2x4 construction lumber
is not likely to go all that well, but the experience is a learning one.

If you glue up 2x6's or 2x10's ripped in half, (I'd go with 2x6's
because you know what they look like when you start, a 2x10 ripped in
half may or may not be good after ripping.)

Jack, The argument seems to be that, in general they cut the 2x10s from
better wood. I found your post interesting. Thanks!

As far as flatness, I don't want my work to "wobble" on the
bench--especially if I'm doing woodcarving. Of course, I could always
put down a veneer, and I may anyway, but it would be nice if the surface
was basically sort-of-flat to begin with.

Cheers,
Bill


Lay them face up, number
each joint and joint them even in, odd out against the fence. This at
least guarantees square joints, regardless of how perfect your fence
might be. If your wood is perfect, as in quarter sawn, you will be fine,
but that is unlikely, and the grain will determine what happens after
glue up. Since you have a planer, you can run the glue ups through the
planer in sections that fit the planer. Still, the grain will determine
how good the top will turn out. If you alternate the grain, it will wave
at you if it cups, if you don't the whole thing will cup (bow).

Neither is all that good, and the books will tell you to alternate the
grain, but mainly, quarter sawn is tits, everything else, less so. If
you want perfection, you probably don't want a solid wood top, much
easier to make a perfect top out of a veneered torsion box. I'm not that
much of a perfectionist.