Correct my stupid novice mistake!!

[msparker]

I'm putting together a table using a variety of reclaimed wood, but have kinda messed it up and looking for suggestions of how i can fix it.

When I was laminating all the strips together (lots of thin ones) I used a roller to spread the glue. when I had glued it and clamped it all up I found I just hadn't used enough glue and there was almost no squeeze out. I didn't know what to do so went with it but there were weak layers that just split apart with very little force. I've glued these layers back together (with much more glue) but worry that the whole tabletop won't be strong enough.

What can I do to make sure the table is strong enough so that when somebody inevitably stands on it to reach a light bulb or something it doesn't just split apart?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[custard]

You could rip along all the glue lines, plane the edges true, and start over.

Or, you could take the view that a table top, if it's well supported by apron rails, isn't particularly highly stressed.

Personally I'd chalk it down to experience and take the second route.

One additional thing to reflect on for next time is that, if you applied the glue with a roller and cramped it up properly, then the fact that there was little squeeze out suggests that rather than insufficient glue the more likely cause is the edges weren't true, so are only being compressed together in isolated high spots rather than through the full length.

 

[Rob Platt]

don`t let anyone stand on the table
you wouldn`t eat off a step ladder
from giver of sound advice and information
all the best
rob

 

[msparker]

All the individual pieces were planed and thicknessed and apart from one or two places the joins seem pretty good with (almost) no visible gaps so I still think it's just too little glue. Or perhaps I was glueing too much in one go so the clamping force was too diffuse.

I'm going for a kind of industrial look with hairpin legs so was thinking of just recessing some steel strips across the underside in place of an apron perhaps that'll be enough to stop it splitting. I have no doubt it'll be strong enough along its length

 

[Adam9453]

did you double glue?
I.e. apply glue to both surfaces that are meeting each other?
I normally have far too much squeeze out because I lather it on.
its a pain to clean up sometimes but I always hear that voice ringing in my head saying "better too much glue than not enough" a failed joint is often much more difficult to repair than a bit of squeeze out.

Also what type of clamps are you using? Quick clamps can't apply enough pressure i've found, better with sash clamps or other screw based clamps of some description.

 

[Racers]

Wood expands and contracts due to the moisture in the air, your metal strips will cause problems unless you allow for movement using slotted holes and screws with washers.

You could do a breadboard end.

Pee

 

[AndyT]

As Custard says, apron rails are the conventional way to strengthen a table top (as well as providing strength to the legs) but if you are trying for an industrial look you could drill horizontally, through the thickness of the table top, and add some steel studding, with nuts at either end.
You could even use the same nuts to attach steel legs.

This does assume that the width of the top is less than twice the length of your longest suitable drill bit but I've seen it done successfully.

 

[msparker]

Thanks for all the replies.

I think my current plan would be to put the top on some blocks to replicate being on legs and then stress it a bit and see I get any more clean splits which I'll plane and re-glue. If not I'll then put some bracing allowing for a bit of expansion and contraction (thanks for that tip I hadn't though about that at all!!) and put it through its paces when complete. All good experience I guess!! I'll definitely be double glueing in the future.

 

[Jacob]

Basically you should have a continuous bead of glue along both sides of the joint (and the ends) squeezed out when you clamp up. If not then you haven't put in enough glue.

 

[Wuffles]

You could rip along all the glue lines, plane the edges true, and start over.

If you have a track saw, rip along the glue line and (provided you can live without the missing material from the cut) you've got yourself some perfectly jointed boards to re-glue back together.

This assumes the gaps aren't wider than the kerf.

Make sense?

 

[msparker]

Sadly no track saw. Perhaps a piece of kit to invest in in the future

 

[Wuffles]

Clamps, straight edge, circular saw then. Same principle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MattRoberts]

You can make a track for a circular saw super easy with some ply - I just did the same at the weekend