"Dan White" wrote in
. net:

snip
Well, the only thing about the dowelling that I wasn't sure of is
getting a tight seam without a clamp. The L is 15' on one side and 5'
on the other, so that's joining the 5' piece crosswise (3') to the
long one, so I'm not sure how I'd clamp it anyway. Do they make 8'
clamps? I've used the clamps you showed on a Home Depot laminate top
where I had to join 2 - 8' mitered tops. I wasn't happy with the
result. It didn't seem to pull the pieces together well enough. Part
of the problem is that I had to set the counter pretty close to where
it was going to be, and it was hard to really get a good reach on the
bolt. That sounds lame, but I couldn't join 2 8' pieces upside down
and then move them into place, unless maybe I had several guys who
could keep it from flexing apart in the process.

I don't really know a woodworker who could add those recesses although
I am hiring a carpenter for some other work. I could probably do it
actually if I had to. I have a router and have cut keyholes in soft
wood in the past.

Of course, if you are in NJ, you're welcome to give it a try for
handsome remuneration, of course!


Two things: 1) I don't do this for money. Takes the joy out of it, and
I'm not that fast. And 2) I'm a California boy, 5 generations worth on one
line, 4 on another. It's been a long time since I was in Jersey, and it's
not in the schedule, right now anyway. Otherwise...

Yes, they do make 8' clamps. Actually, they can be longer. Black iron
pipe, usually 3/4" OD, in my case (although it is rumoured that Michael
Baglio recommends using 1/2" ;-)) can be had in lengths up to pretty much
'more than you can carry'. And threaded and coupled, too. The pipe clamp
heads won't set you back more than the cost of a good pastrami sandwich
each.

Since one side of this countertop is going to be hidden from the public,
underneath the counter, cleats can be temporarily attached to that side
with good screws, allowing some additional, not 8' long, clamping points.

If dowels are your choice, purchase or fabricate a simple doweling jig.
One of the problems with dowels is that they are simple to get wrong. A
jig helps avoid that. A self-centering jig really helps that. Your
carpenter may have one. A good, old-school hardware store, one that's been
around since maybe the '50's, almost certainly would. ShopNotes probably
ran 5 feature articles on how to make one from baltic birch plywood.

Let me think about how to cut the keyholes with a router. There's a way to
do it safely and easily. If someone else doesn't jump in, I'll have
something more for you tomorrow evening.

Patriarch