I would like to build a tressle table for my dining room from cherry. My
recent projects have led me to the conclusion that color-matching cherry is
really tough to do well. What looks like a good match "dry" can be very
different with the wet look of a just a clear finish. If I have to do a
glue-up taking wood from the same board yeilds the best result.

I would hate to go to the trouble and expense of a large table and look at
the top and feel like I wish I could have another stab at board selection.

I was considering using my bandsaw to resaw the best board I could find into
something like 13/16" slices. By doing joint, resaw joint resaw... I would
always have one smooth face to glue to a substrate, which I could later pass
through the planer to clean up the surface.

I tried this on a small scale this weekend and it worked OK, but using
yellow glue required about 12 f-clamps on a 2.5 x 15" board. That
glue/clamping strategy is not viable for a 7' x 8" board. I doubt that a
traditional veneering approach would work for a relatively thick veneer.

Has anyone ever tried contact cement for wood-wood bond using a essentially
the same process as gluing formica to MDF?

Thanks,

Steve

Stephen M wrote:

I would like to build a tressle [trestle] table for my dining room from cherry. ...
I was considering using my bandsaw to resaw the best board I could find into
something like 13/16" slices. By doing joint, resaw joint resaw... I would
always have one smooth face to glue to a substrate, which I could later pass
through the planer to clean up the surface.

I tried this on a small scale this weekend and it worked OK, but using
yellow glue required about 12 f-clamps on a 2.5 x 15" board. That
glue/clamping strategy is not viable for a 7' x 8" board. I doubt that a
traditional veneering approach would work for a relatively thick veneer.

Correct...

Has anyone ever tried contact cement for wood-wood bond using a essentially
the same process as gluing formica to MDF?

Yes, people have tried it--it won't last.

I think you need to think mechanically attaching a thick top of this
sort to the substrate to allow some lateral movement as opposed to
trying to glue it over the entire face.

On Tue, 6 Sep 2005 10:37:08 -0400, "Stephen M"
wrote:

I was considering using my bandsaw to resaw the best board I could find into
something like 13/16" slices. By doing joint, resaw joint resaw... I would
always have one smooth face to glue to a substrate, which I could later pass
through the planer to clean up the surface.

I'll assume you meant "3/16", not "13/16". Yup, that works fine, just
let them acclimate a week or two after the resaw step.

I tried this on a small scale this weekend and it worked OK, but using
yellow glue required about 12 f-clamps on a 2.5 x 15" board. That
glue/clamping strategy is not viable for a 7' x 8" board. I doubt that a
traditional veneering approach would work for a relatively thick veneer.

Not that tough, just forget about conventional clamps. You need:
1. a couple pieces of 3/4" MDF same size as your glue-up.
2. about 30 pieces of 2x4 a couple inches longer than your board
width.
3. same number of bolts/nuts/washers, long enough to go through your
glue-up, two thicknesses of MDF, and two thicknesses of 2x4...6"
oughta do it.
That gives you a "clamp" every 6" that goes across the full width of
the glue-up, with the MDF acting as a caul to apply pressure in
between.

I assume you're using solid wood, preferably also cherry as your
substrate, since you'll be edge-gluing the composite boards later.

Has anyone ever tried contact cement for wood-wood bond using a essentially
the same process as gluing formica to MDF?

I've done it for smallish pieces (12"x16"), works fine. I have no idea
what the long-term durability of that sandwich would be for something
that large. The key to normal countertops is that they have lots of
support underneath to keep them from flexing and stressing the joint.

Lee

"Stephen M" wrote in
:

I would like to build a tressle table for my dining room from cherry.
My recent projects have led me to the conclusion that color-matching
cherry is really tough to do well. What looks like a good match "dry"
can be very different with the wet look of a just a clear finish. If
I have to do a glue-up taking wood from the same board yeilds the best
result.

I would hate to go to the trouble and expense of a large table and
look at the top and feel like I wish I could have another stab at
board selection.

I was considering using my bandsaw to resaw the best board I could
find into something like 13/16" slices. By doing joint, resaw joint
resaw... I would always have one smooth face to glue to a substrate,
which I could later pass through the planer to clean up the surface.

I tried this on a small scale this weekend and it worked OK, but
using yellow glue required about 12 f-clamps on a 2.5 x 15" board.
That glue/clamping strategy is not viable for a 7' x 8" board. I
doubt that a traditional veneering approach would work for a
relatively thick veneer.

Has anyone ever tried contact cement for wood-wood bond using a
essentially the same process as gluing formica to MDF?

Thanks,

Steve




Try googling on shop-sawn veneer. And/or getting a look at Krenov's
books, which include writings on the subject.

David Marks does this regularly on his cable-only TV show. Anyone who
has taken the coursework at College of the Redwoods learns and uses this
method regularly. Certainly it is taught elsewhere as well.

But these veneers are cut closer to 3/32", edge jointed and glued, and
then glued to the substrate, (both sides) generally with a vacuum bag.

Usually for exactly the reasons you describe.

Patriarch,
theorist, observer and book learner wrt veneer

In article ,
says...
Not that tough, just forget about conventional clamps. You need:
1. a couple pieces of 3/4" MDF same size as your glue-up.
2. about 30 pieces of 2x4 a couple inches longer than your board
width.
3. same number of bolts/nuts/washers, long enough to go through your
glue-up, two thicknesses of MDF, and two thicknesses of 2x4...6"
oughta do it.
That gives you a "clamp" every 6" that goes across the full width of
the glue-up, with the MDF acting as a caul to apply pressure in
between.

Or "crown" the 2x4s so they are both clamp and caul and forget the MDF.

--
BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever

Lee DeRaud wrote:

On Tue, 6 Sep 2005 10:37:08 -0400, "Stephen M"
wrote:

I was considering using my bandsaw to resaw the best board I could find into
something like 13/16" slices. By doing joint, resaw joint resaw... I would
always have one smooth face to glue to a substrate, which I could later pass
through the planer to clean up the surface.

I'll assume you meant "3/16", not "13/16". Yup, that works fine, just
let them acclimate a week or two after the resaw step.
....

Ahhhh....that's a reasonable alternative interpretation that hadn't
occurred to me.

I was considering using my bandsaw to resaw the best board I could find
into
something like 13/16" slices. By doing joint, resaw joint resaw... I
would
always have one smooth face to glue to a substrate, which I could later
pass
through the planer to clean up the surface.

I'll assume you meant "3/16", not "13/16". Yup, that works fine, just
let them acclimate a week or two after the resaw step.

Yup. That is what I meant.


Not that tough, just forget about conventional clamps. You need:
1. a couple pieces of 3/4" MDF same size as your glue-up.
2. about 30 pieces of 2x4 a couple inches longer than your board
width.
3. same number of bolts/nuts/washers, long enough to go through your
glue-up, two thicknesses of MDF, and two thicknesses of 2x4...6"
oughta do it.
That gives you a "clamp" every 6" that goes across the full width of
the glue-up, with the MDF acting as a caul to apply pressure in
between.

Got it. So you would recommend sticking with Yellow wood glue?


I assume you're using solid wood, preferably also cherry as your
substrate, since you'll be edge-gluing the composite boards later.

Correct.

Has anyone ever tried contact cement for wood-wood bond using a
essentially
the same process as gluing formica to MDF?

I've done it for smallish pieces (12"x16"), works fine. I have no idea
what the long-term durability of that sandwich would be for something
that large. The key to normal countertops is that they have lots of
support underneath to keep them from flexing and stressing the joint.

I am not going to try un unproven technique on a project of this magnitude.

-Steve

Stephen M wrote:

I was considering using my bandsaw to resaw the best board I could find
into
something like 13/16" slices. By doing joint, resaw joint resaw... I
would
always have one smooth face to glue to a substrate, which I could later
pass
through the planer to clean up the surface.

I'll assume you meant "3/16", not "13/16". Yup, that works fine, just
let them acclimate a week or two after the resaw step.

Yup. That is what I meant.

Not that tough, just forget about conventional clamps. You need:
1. a couple pieces of 3/4" MDF same size as your glue-up.
2. about 30 pieces of 2x4 a couple inches longer than your board
width.
3. same number of bolts/nuts/washers, long enough to go through your
glue-up, two thicknesses of MDF, and two thicknesses of 2x4...6"
oughta do it.
That gives you a "clamp" every 6" that goes across the full width of
the glue-up, with the MDF acting as a caul to apply pressure in
between.

Got it. So you would recommend sticking with Yellow wood glue?


I assume you're using solid wood, preferably also cherry as your
substrate, since you'll be edge-gluing the composite boards later.

Correct.

Has anyone ever tried contact cement for wood-wood bond using a
essentially
the same process as gluing formica to MDF?

I've done it for smallish pieces (12"x16"), works fine. I have no idea
what the long-term durability of that sandwich would be for something
that large. The key to normal countertops is that they have lots of
support underneath to keep them from flexing and stressing the joint.

I am not going to try un unproven technique on a project of this magnitude.

It is proven--not to work.

There have been several letters to Fine Woodworking over the years that
I can recall where people have written in w/ "What did I do wrong?"
questions with exactly the kind of construction you were proposing.
Contact cement is designed for a nonporous overlayment over a substrate
and will not hold long term for the intended purpose. You're right to
not invest such a large amount of effort into such a venture.

W/ the update of thinner material, it should work well, although that
would be one place where I might consider either a hide glue or
resorcinol for harder glue line and longer open time.