# Joining 2" thick oak



## mossyoak (Feb 27, 2011)

I searched on the forum for a bit and couldn't find anything so here I am..

I am in the process of making a oak entry bench. I have 2 pieces of 1 3/4" thick by 6" wide by 40" long that I need to join together to give me my 12" width. I didn't know if I could use #10 biscuits and double them up one on top of the other, or just do what I normally do with my 3/4" thick boards.

I only have a biscuit joiner and currently only #10 biscuits.

Any thoughts?

Thanks


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

I'm thinking joint the mating edges for a smooth gap free fit, then glue and clamp. Titebond II would be my choice. I doubt biscuits or dowels would be needed, especially if the legs run most of the way across the seat portion.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I'd likely I the glue only route as well, possibly a 1/4 inch spline....


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## reynoldston (Sep 13, 2013)

I would use the biscuit joiner and biscuits. It always helps me to align the two boards better when I glue and clamp them.


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

The biscuits won't help with strength, the glue joint will be plenty strong. However, the biscuits will definitely help with alignment, and i would go ahead and use them for that reason.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

A joint of this thickness is very strong with the glue alone, assuming as others have said that the joint has no gaps. If it has gaps, biscuits may not help much. 

A good glue joint is stronger than the wood.

If the two boards can be dry fit with no clamping pressure and show no gaps, then biscuits are not needed.

They can be used for vertical alignment, but I prefer dowels, since a dowel will give vertical and horizontal alignment.

If you have sufficient clamps, you should not need to use biscuits or dowels for this joint.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

joining two boards together should not need biscuits or dowels, just make sure they make contact along the entire length. You may want to use cawls to keep the boards aligned during the glue up.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*biscuits and alignment*

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/biscuit-joiner-project-buddy-48967/

I have had both good and bad luck using biscuits to align boards in a glue up. First several times went well, last time did not as they were not the same distance from one edge, tore them out and went without.

So, I had another opportunity to use them and did not for fear of the same issue. There are other ways to assure a flat panel glue up and cauls were mentioned and that's what I used.
Here's some links:
http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/35878/clamping-cauls-the-secret-to-great-glue-ups
http://www.newwoodworker.com/cauls.html


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Biscuits would help but a full spline would give you more strength. The most important thing you could is to dry fit the boards together and make sure the joints fit well without the clamps. If you have to force a joint together then that much pressure is trying to pull the joint apart when you are done.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Straight and true edges are a must*



Steve Neul said:


> Biscuits would help but a full spline would give you more strength. The most important thing you could is to dry fit the boards together and make sure the joints fit well without the clamps. If you have to force a joint together then that much pressure is trying to pull the joint apart when you are done.


The joints must fit together well without clamps before you start. The edges must be square to the faces and they must be straight, no curves or very minor ones. Biscuits or splines will only assist IF the above is true. The boards should all be planed to the same thickness as well.

If you don't start out right you will finish up wrong.


In my case the boards were NOT all the same thickness and that was the reason I used biscuits based off the good faces upside down on the assembly bench. That way the slots were all the same distance from the bench surface using the base of the machine as the registration to the bench top, not the fence that comes with it. (That's my own modification in the operation process and not according to the instructions, The larger base gives the jointer a greater surface to register and less tendency to tip.)

If biscuits add strength so be it, but a proper glue joint doesn't need them. If they help alignment then great. If not, they are a nightmare to get out when covered in glue. DAMHIKT :laughing:

Here's how I joined several 2 x 8's for a large door:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/door-build-2-xs-1-4-ply-55717/


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## mossyoak (Feb 27, 2011)

I have planned and joined everything to be perfect when I dry fitted it, so everything SHOULD fit ok when I apply the glue, I guess I will let everyone know when I finish it.

Thanks for all the help


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

*The joints must fit together well without clamps before you start. The edges must be square to the faces and they must be straight, no curves or very minor ones. Biscuits or splines will only assist IF the above is true.*

If the above is true there is no need for biscuits or splines. If the edges are prepared to mate, just glue and clamps are all that's needed. As suggested, your best alignment method is to use cauls.


















.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> If you don't start out right you will finish up wrong.
> 
> *
> In my case the boards were NOT all the same thickness and that was the reason I used biscuits based off the good faces upside down on the assembly bench. That way the slots were all the same distance from the bench surface using the base of the machine as the registration to the bench top, not the fence that comes with it. (That's my own modification in the operation process and not according to the instructions, The larger base gives the jointer a greater surface to register and less tendency to tip.)*
> ...


You can't just quote part of the post and leave out the explanation ...just sayin' :no:


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

i would use biscuits or splines for alignment as mentioned, or hand clamps on the board ends to keep alignment. seen to many times that the boards slip past each other a little while drying.


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## Noek (Jan 26, 2013)

Is a caul just basically several 2x4's to run perpendicular clamped top and bottom to ensure alignment?


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Basically, yes.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

the cauls are usually crowned, intentionally, so that as pressure is applied on the ends, there is still pressure applied in the center. and they are waxed waxed up good.


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## mossyoak (Feb 27, 2011)

Could you get away with using waxed paper in between the boards?


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## Masterjer (Nov 6, 2012)

mossyoak said:


> Could you get away with using waxed paper in between the boards?


Sure that works fine. I have some cauls I use regularly and have one face covered with packing tape. That works very well too.


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## trevarthan (Jan 14, 2013)

Kitchen plastic wrap works well too. Might be easier than packing tape (fewer winds).


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

I use blue tape on cauls and anything else that needs to stay out of contact. I agree with above, if you have done your homework and joints are tight, glue is all you need. Lots of ways to do it- none are wrong as long as joints are tight.


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## mossyoak (Feb 27, 2011)

I never did the caul before, so I might try that. I can see may uses for it as well.


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## Noek (Jan 26, 2013)

I finally made some cauls out of redwood 2x4's and used them for the first time and I really like them. Boards came out very flat and used blue painters tape on them for the squeeze out. You can buy cauls online, I think they're called Bowclamps and I hear they are pretty good but you can make them just the same.


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