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'Nother board!

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:00 am
by Woodstock
I went down to a lumber yard with the old man a few weeks ago, and I found some gorgeous cedar in eight-foot, 1"x12" slabs. After having the men at work plane the boards down nice and smooth, I realized that they're 'brother' pieces! If I line them up, side-by-side, the grain is very nearly bookmatched! Pics are to follow the minute I get down to Sandy Eggo. My father, a carpenter of thirty years' experience, at first suggested tongue-and-grooving the pieces together to make a joint, but the fellow at the lumberyard advised against it, as I'm a rather large guy, and my foot could very easily go through the joint if there was a flaw and I hit it just right. We're considering doweling the pieces together, because my father is worried that simply butting the pieces together would make the board weak, and prone to taco-shelling, but my previous board was simply butted, and I've yet to experience any separation. Advice, please?

Re: 'Nother board!

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:23 am
by bgreen
If you use a decent glue butt joints are fine. I believe Tom Wegener once employed tongue groove joints - I'm not sure if he still does. I've only ever used two pack epoxy for joints - avoid excessive clamping.

Check the old forum for glue threads like:

All you need to know about glues for wood in a marine enviro
I got wood......... (page 2)
ideas and pointers! (page 2)

Do a search for 'glue' or 'bond' to find more.

Bob

Re: 'Nother board!

Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:37 am
by Uncle Grumpy
Dowels are really more for joint alignment and offer very little in the way of strength.
A T&G joint in this application is in fact weaker then a glued butt joint.
Modern glues are actually stronger then the wood (the wood will split before the glue joint fails)
Titebond II or III will work, however Titebond will not bond to itself which complicates repairs so I prefer to use T3 Epoxy for this work.

Re: 'Nother board!

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 12:57 pm
by Woodstock
A theory to run by all of you master-craftsmen here: I'd like to use a bright red wood stain on this board to make it really eye-catching, but I also want to make the wood grain appear black. Would it work if I raise the grain of the wood and stain it black, let it sit, sand the wood down a bit once the wood has dried out, then stain the red over the black?

Re: 'Nother board!

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:05 pm
by bgreen
I can't comment on your technique, but I'd be careful if you are going to leave such a dark coloured board in a car on a hot day - you may have a warp special.

Bob

Re: 'Nother board!

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:34 pm
by Woodstock
Good thing I don't drive, then! :mrgreen: