# Clamping two/three polished surfaces together..



## MCTWoodwork (29 Apr 2021)

Hi there,

This piece of furniture I made & designed whilst on my course at Rowden Atelier in Devon a few years back - I never finished it, but I finally insulated a small workshop last year (at home) to finally complete this piece I designed.

I was really after some advice from you wonderful people (!) with regards to clamping polished surfaces. The surfaces will be shellac & waxed (aka part French polished) so require delicate handling & then all clamped together. I'm really after some tips from you experts out there please - someone must have done this before, surely?? 
I'll domino the 'hats' together for alignment purposes but don't want the clamps to ruin the polish. I could put them together first and then polish afterwards but this can be very tricky getting the polish right over multiple surfaces. I wish i could afford to send this off to a finisher... i don't know about you, but i really hate finishing!! 

See the 3D cad design attached & the photo of the cabinet (doors just hung - unpolished!) so you know what i mean...

Thanks in advance.. 

Matthew


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## peter-harrison (29 Apr 2021)

Hi Matthew, it looks fairly straightforward to me. You need 2 cauls made from mdf or similar, cut to size, and possibly padded with a bit of old blanket or whatever. The main issue is going to be getting them all aligned properly- are you dowelling them or similar?
Pete


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## Cabinetman (29 Apr 2021)

Crikey, that’s not a piece you can ignore is it !
Sorry to disagree with you Peter but I think if you use material it may imprint the weave into the top surface I would use something like formica / bit of old worktop perhaps. Ian


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## MarkAW (29 Apr 2021)

Paper shouldn't leave any weave....
Might work


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## MCTWoodwork (30 Apr 2021)

peter-harrison said:


> Hi Matthew, it looks fairly straightforward to me. You need 2 cauls made from mdf or similar, cut to size, and possibly padded with a bit of old blanket or whatever. The main issue is going to be getting them all aligned properly- are you dowelling them or similar?
> Pete


Hi Pete,


peter-harrison said:


> Hi Matthew, it looks fairly straightforward to me. You need 2 cauls made from mdf or similar, cut to size, and possibly padded with a bit of old blanket or whatever. The main issue is going to be getting them all aligned properly- are you dowelling them or similar?
> Pete,



Hi Pete, thanks for your reply & the information - although, I'm just not sure that might still leave an impression using cloth? I'll use domino's for alignment purposes.

Regards,

Matthew


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## MCTWoodwork (30 Apr 2021)

Cabinetman said:


> Crikey, that’s not a piece you can ignore is it !
> Sorry to disagree with you Peter but I think if you use material it may imprint the weave into the top surface I would use something like formica / bit of old worktop perhaps. Ian



Thanks  

So you reckon the polish (once fully cured) won't be damaged by the work top / formica pressing down on the two surfaces?


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## Cabinetman (30 Apr 2021)

Can’t think of any reason why it should, as long as you don’t pick a worktop that has a texture to it of course, that other suggestion of using a few sheets of paper that was a good one as well. Ian


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## johnnyb (30 Apr 2021)

if the weave impression is left on the polish then the polish isn't very fresh. also I wouldn't stress to much as it could be easily fixed.


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## MCTWoodwork (30 Apr 2021)

Cabinetman said:


> Crikey, that’s not a piece you can ignore is it !
> Sorry to disagree with you Peter but I think if you use material it may imprint the weave into the top surface I would use something like formica / bit of old worktop perhaps. Ian



Cheers Ian, and thanks to everyone's help & suggestions.


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