# Tips for glueing a table top?



## lateralus819 (Jul 22, 2012)

Hello all. I'm going to be making a new kitchen table for my home. Multiple pieces of sapele for the top. Roughly 8" wide each board. 

Is there anything i should be aware of as far as my glue up? Any tips on how to make it go as smooth as possible with little problems. 

Best way to minimize warping/cupping?

Im going to join 2 at a time with a total of 5 boards.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Some good info here...
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/table-top-glue-up-help-49318/









 







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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Sapele should glue very well. I normally like to run a spline in wood I use for a table top. The spline doesn't have to go all the way to the end. You could stop it 5 or 6 inches from the ends so it doesn't show. 

All you can do to make the top smooth when gluing it is to align the boards together as you are gluing them. I normally snug the wood up in the clamps and take a 8 lb. sledge hammer with a block of wood and knock them down flat.


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## lateralus819 (Jul 22, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> Sapele should glue very well. I normally like to run a spline in wood I use for a table top. The spline doesn't have to go all the way to the end. You could stop it 5 or 6 inches from the ends so it doesn't show.
> 
> All you can do to make the top smooth when gluing it is to align the boards together as you are gluing them. I normally snug the wood up in the clamps and take a 8 lb. sledge hammer with a block of wood and knock them down flat.


Whats the reasoning for the splines? 

Visibility isn't an issue as i will trim out the edges with some maple.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*splines help alignment*

here's a good link: http://sandal-woodsblog.com/2009/01/27/the-full-size-table-gluing-up-the-top/

You must reference off the good face when creating a groove however, so the good face is flush when you finish. You don't "need" them but they can be helpful if the boards have any curve to them and may walk/move when the clamp are tightened. I just glued a large panel today with a 3" QSWO border on the edges. 
I used biscuits...  to help align the good surface and referenced off the good face flat on the bench. This was a glue up that was my buddies, and it had warped, so I had to clamp it to the bench using a caul to get it flat. The biscuits are the same dimension up from the table that way and will auto-align when they are glued together. It went very well with the 2 of us gluing and aligning, even though he was down to one good arm from a previous surgery. 
Now this my 3rd try at biscuits and I'm gettin' the hang of it more each time and liking them for alignment only, since they do not add any strength. The 4 separate trim pieces on this top were one dimension and the top was slightly thicker. So, to get them all flush on the good side, I laid that side down and ran the biscuit cutter in using the bench top as the reference.


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## ATL Jack (Dec 11, 2011)

If you have a membership to fine woodworking there is a good video series on making a hayrake table. One of the videos is dedicated to glueing the table top and is very good. http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/57002/build-a-hayrake-table


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

lateralus819 said:


> Whats the reasoning for the splines?
> 
> Visibility isn't an issue as i will trim out the edges with some maple.


 When you make a long glueup each board is trying to expand and contract different than the board next to it. This puts a lot of stress on the joint and the spline helps keep the joint from comming apart.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

IMO, and experience, biscuits don't insure alignment. If there's room for glue, and the biscuit just slides in, there's room for misalignment. For a planked glue up, using cauls is a good way for getting good alignment. To further align boards that get a bit off, wedges can be tapped under the caul. 

If the wood is going to exert some movement due to E&C, splines may help, but the natural forces will likely overcome the restraint provided by the spline. Something will likely crack, and it could be the spline, as it will likely be long grain (unless plywood is used).









 







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## lateralus819 (Jul 22, 2012)

cabinetman said:


> IMO, and experience, biscuits don't insure alignment. If there's room for glue, and the biscuit just slides in, there's room for misalignment. For a planked glue up, using cauls is a good way for getting good alignment. To further align boards that get a bit off, wedges can be tapped under the caul.
> 
> If the wood is going to exert some movement due to E&C, splines may help, but the natural forces will likely overcome the restraint provided by the spline. Something will likely crack, and it could be the spline, as it will likely be long grain (unless plywood is used).
> 
> ...


Is there a way i should oreient the boards..I.E. rings up/rings down/rings up etc? or it doesnt matter?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

lateralus819 said:


> Is there a way i should oreient the boards..I.E. rings up/rings down/rings up etc? or it doesnt matter?


I alternate them. I don't use biscuits.









 







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## lateralus819 (Jul 22, 2012)

cabinetman said:


> I alternate them. I don't use biscuits.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So alternating up/down is the way to go? 

Id hate to spend $200+ in lumber and have something go wrong! haha.


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## RetiredLE (Jan 20, 2011)

I am in the process of building a dining room table for our home using 2X3's laid on edge with biscuits. As was said here, the biscuits don't insure a flat surface but they do help to keep things more or less in line when applying the clamps.

It's also important when clamping to alternate the clamps top and bottom to prevent the clamps from bowing the surface. The more clamps you have the better in my opinion - and you want to use enough glue to ensure some squeezes out.


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