Console Table: Episode 6
Posted 31 July 2019
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First up in this episode is the table top glue-up. Paul runs through edge jointing as well as briefly talking about his choice for grain configuration. Then, it’s on to dovetailing. This table has a small drawer and the front corners are held together with a half-lap dovetail which Paul carefully shows how to create.
Dear Paul, fellow woodworkers,
When you joint the table top (or any other piece), does it happen to you also that the cavities of the stops of the sliding piece of the cramps has some asperities that causes bruises and ruins the wood (especially when you blow on the wood to correct misalignment while gluying) ?
Kind regards,
Max.
Hi Max, happens most of the time. What I do is, do a dry clamping and see where I need to begin clamping. Usually in such cases as you mentioned, I begin with the most problematic bump and most of the time this happens to be in the centre of the boards being joined. So I begin clamping from the centre tightly, then move to the sides and adjust the level of the surfaces. Typically you will not need to blow with a hammer to correct this—depending on the glue freeze of course. If these end corrections are hard on your hands, you can use a small F clamp to press both surfaces down to the same level and take it off.
Hi,
I passed on your question to Paul and his answer is below:
Generally not, I haven’t really had any issues but I am more cautious with softer grained woods. If in doubt, i’ll add a wooden packer to absorb any damage from the clamps.
Kind Regards,
Izzy
Hi Paul,
When gluing the leg parts, you used some finish nails clipped short to align the parts. Why don’t you use the same alignment technique when edge gluing the top that you use for the legs?
Thank you,
Charlie
Hi Charlie,
I think that the reason why Paul used the pins to locate the glue up position of the apron with a drawer face was to ensure that the glueup with screw-clamps was successful. I’m sure a bar clamp would’ve worked just fine, but knowing Paul’s aim for excellence, he couldn’t afford a mistake once the apron was laminated and for any reason the drawer face wasn’t as expected. I think that’s the main, perhaps the only reason why it was glued up as such…
I didn’t watch the whole video of this episode…seems like there had been a challenge with the table top lamination—that is judging from the comments.
Hi Charles,
Paul says:
‘No reason, just didn’t feel like it.’
Kind regards,
Izzy
This is just my 2 cents but I think a table top glue up is easier to manage than an angled piece. I also think that adding all those small bits of metal in the table top is risky. When you have to add cleats of drill a hole for cords or some other fixture it will always be on one of those brads.
Hi Paul, what is your opinion on sprinkling a bit of table salt on the gluing surfaces to keep them from moving?
I asked Paul. He said he doesn’t use salt.