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Looking for some advice on wide panel glue up for a 40"-42" wide for a dinning table top. It will be a breadboard style with haunch tenon joint on one end of each panel. 2 panels for extendable table with 1 leaf. Panel will be aprx. 40" wide by 44" long. No breadboard ends at center of table where 2 panels meet. My thought is to glue up the panels in 2 steps 1st glue up 2 narrow panels aprx. 20" wide than glue those 2 together to get the 40" width. I'm planing on using Ash 5/4 or 15/16" hit/miss & 5"-6" wide boards. My main concern is top flatness and if using a breadboard end on something this wide is a good idea ?
Thanks
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When I do panel glue ups, I do them in sections, I find I have less work in flattening if I glue up just a few boards as opposed to a lot. I then flatten each glue up before gluing to the next panel. Make sure you joint the edge of each glued up section after the glue has dried, clamping can cause some dips. I have never done a bread board at 40 inches, so can't help there.
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Built dining table with bread board ends for our DnL, 42x90, IIRC. It is my all-time favorite build. Must have been 10 yrs ago, no issues so far.
"I tried being reasonable..........I didn't like it." Clint Eastwood
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Use cauls to keep the panels flat when clamping.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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(10-21-2022, 11:08 AM)2link2 Wrote: Looking for some advice on wide panel glue up for a 40"-42" wide for a dinning table top. It will be a breadboard style with haunch tenon joint on one end of each panel. 2 panels for extendable table with 1 leaf. Panel will be aprx. 40" wide by 44" long. No breadboard ends at center of table where 2 panels meet. My thought is to glue up the panels in 2 steps 1st glue up 2 narrow panels aprx. 20" wide than glue those 2 together to get the 40" width. I'm planing on using Ash 5/4 or 15/16" hit/miss & 5"-6" wide boards. My main concern is top flatness and if using a breadboard end on something this wide is a good idea ?
Thanks
I built mine in sections. I used biscuits to help in gluing the sections together. I used every clamp I owned. In fact I went to a pipe supply and bought 20' joints of 3/4" pipe and made 6'+ long clamps just for that job. It goes with out saying, but you need to practice the glue up. Once you have a good joint make pencil marks to make sure that the boards don't get mixed up in the real glue up. Use tons of cauls. Use Titebond III. Use biscuits. Feel all the joints and hammer them flat with a rubber mallet or a flat piece of hardwood to prevent marring to minimize sanding. If it doesn't feel flat, it ain't flat.
I can't emphasize enough to practice the glue up. This table will last longer than you will. Take your time. Do it right. It's a legacy piece.
Just my $.02
RP
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Thanks to all for the advice.
RPE1 I've done the chicken with the head cut off dance on glue ups before and learned to "practice" prior to assembly ! I'll dry fit, mark everything, have all clamps ready & adjusted & Titebond III is a good call.
Bill H. is your table extendable ? I'm a bit concerned with no breadboard ends in the middle if the tops will stay flat. I'm thinking to use dowel pins glued one side at the center, maybe those & the slides will help keep the tops at least flush.
AHill, I'll defiantly use cauls & was thinking about making some tapered cauls, just don't know how much taper to use. I guess I can dry fit & get it figured out.
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Do you plan to use a handplane on the panel (eg removing any high spots)? If so, orient the boards with grain direction in mind, or note the direction in each board. Once it's glued up, except the two outer boards, it might not be easy to tell the grain direction.
Simon
