# Jointing Long Beams?



## bberchin (Nov 25, 2012)

I have 2 20' long reclaimed spruce beams 2-3/4" thick by 9" wide that I need to glue up for a long bartop. I need a good flat and straight edge to do that. With another guy to help, would I be able to do that on a 6" or 8" jointer?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*maybe*

When I have had long boards to edge joint I carefully lined up roller stand to the proper height by using a straight aluminum extrusion.
You won't want to support the weight by hand, it's just not reliable enough to get a straight pass.

You might consider getting a small bench top 4" jointer and making a track or sled for it to ride over the plank on. By inverting it and running it upside down on some straight rails you can move the tool over the wood, rather than move the wood over the tool. It may also be possible to just invert it and use it without any additional guides or tracks....I donno, but worth a try.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

bberchin said:


> I have 2 20' long reclaimed spruce beams 2-3/4" thick by 9" wide that I need to glue up for a long bartop. I need a good flat and straight edge to do that. With another guy to help, would I be able to do that on a 6" or 8" jointer?


I would say if you are an experienced woodworker and have a lot of time on a jointer, you could possibly do it on a jointer. You would have to set up infeed and outfeed supports that were all in good alignment with their perspective tables. You might consider cutting the planks close to their finished lengths first, leaving some overage for trimming. If you have the room, they could be cut on a table saw.

You might be better off setting up a combination of end to end straightedges to run a handheld circular saw against. If you set the plank upside down, you could just tack nail the pieces. To get a good 90 degree cut to the face that the straight edges are nailed on, that face should be flat...preferably jointed flat, or at the least planed flat. If the saw can't make the depth of cut in a single pass, the little bit left can be hand planed off.

Or, the edges can be done with a hand plane...if you are into hand tools. I would not attempt to run a jointer upside down on wood stock. IMO, you would have very little control, and it wouldn't be a safe procedure.









 







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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*another solution*

Butt the 2 boards edge to edge, and clamp them down, but not together so they can't move laterally.
Use a skill/circ saw with a stiff full kerf blade, and a straight edge guide. Make a pass in the intersection of the 2 boards. The first pass my leave a ragged kerf, a second pass will be closer and so on. The 2 3/4" thickness will be a problem unless you can get a 10" circ saw. If not, a lightweight 10" table saw could be inverted and used like a circ saw as shown below. A straight edge could be attached to one of the outside edges and the fence used to ride it down the length. A careful and secure set up would be required. I would do it this way, but you are on your own. I'd rather move the saw than the heavy beam., but that's just me.

Any slight deviation in the cut won't matter since it will be a match on the other board.
If the gap is greater than the kerf of the blade, you'll need to make another pass. 
Stupid simple. :blink::wallbash:

Here's an example of an inverted table saw FYI, not a jointer but same idea:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f5/folded-slab-table-43479/


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

woodnthings said:


> Butt the 2 boards together and clamp them firmly so they can't more laterally.
> Use a skill/circ saw with a straight edge guide and make a pass in the intersection of the 2 boards.
> Any slight deviation in the cut won't matter since it will be a match on the other board.
> If the gap is greater than the kerf of the blade, you'll need to make another pass.
> ...


Using a circular saw to cut in between two clamped boards doesn't work very well at all. It does work with a router bit because the router bit will rotate and deliver the same cut on both sides. A saw blade may produce a different cut from one side of the teeth to the other.

Clamping the boards together wouldn't work as the blade will get pinched, when cut through. Doing this type of jointing with a router, requires the two boards to be clamped down, not together.









 







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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

What is your proposed overall size of the table top?









 





 
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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

If I was going to do that job I would use my jointer. I would move it into an area where I had good clearance.

You stated that you had a helper. Using the helper and sufficient supports you should get a accomplish a good job. You will probably need at least two supports on the infeed and outfeed sides. Carefully align these supports so that the beam is level with the surface of the jointer. 

The two of you should be able to keep the beams feeding properly.

George


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## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

Good luck my man, would like to see the final results.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

GeorgeC said:


> If I was going to do that job I *would use my jointer. I would move it into an area where I had good clearance.*
> 
> You stated that you had a helper. Using the helper and sufficient supports you should get a accomplish a good job. You will probably need at least two supports on the infeed and outfeed sides. Carefully align these supports so that the beam is level with the surface of the jointer.
> 
> ...





burkhome said:


> Good luck my man, would like to see the final results.



You will need 45 ft of "good clearance" for a 20 ft beam. Sounds like a side walk, driveway project, a landing strip, warehouse or pole barn with a level floor. 
The final results would be interesting as well as the method chosen. Please post. Good luck for sure. :yes:


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Safest way is to find a bandsawmill that has a true bed (straight and level track system) and have them edge both at the same time....That's what I do...2 3/4" x 9" (x2)= 18" x 20'...seems a little narrow but I play with too many 15"-28" boards. 

Always a great project anyway it's figured when we can RECLAIM :thumbsup::thumbsup::yes::icon_smile:. Post us some pics.

Have a Blessed and Prosperous day in Jesus's Awesome Love,
Tim


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Lay them side by side and run a hand saw or circ saw between them until there is no gaps...

Finish with a plane to get a good glue edge. 

Simple, dirty, efficient. :smile: :thumbup:


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## bberchin (Nov 25, 2012)

These are some great suggestions, thanks very much. There are a few of these beams I'm going to send out to my mill guy to straight line rip, but the shorter ones I think I'm going to track my circular saw along. I've used that method a hundred times to trim back parquet flooring to add medallions and it works great. Don't know why I didn't think of it. The blade won't make it all the through, but I won't have any trouble hand planing the rest off. Thanks again!


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