Gluing stars!

[Halo Jones]

Hi All,

SWMBO decided it would be a good idea to do some "upcycling" and use a pallet we had to make some Christmas stars as presents. Guess who has to implement said idea! It was all going well until I started thinking about gluing them up.

Here is what I have:

They fit nicely but I cannot for the life of me decide how I am going to clamp them as I glue them.

I do have some band/box clamps but I think that might be proper fiddly.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

H.

 

[Ed Bray]

Use CA and hold them together for 30 seconds.

 

[Mar_mite]

Use CA and hold them together for 30 seconds.

+1
Good job on those by the way.

 

[dickm]

Spring clips (the 3/4 circle ones) on each pair of facets then rely on gravity or balertwine? Or a nail gun to tack each join?

 

[Shrubby]

Make a backing board with blocks screwed to it with clearance around the star for you to knock wedges in to push the parts together. Alternatively stretch a bicycle inner tube around the points - tie a knot in it if it's too long
Matt

 

[Halo Jones]

Hmm.

I thought about CA but will it be strong enough? (or is that a silly question! - I've never used CA on wood before). Plus I would need to buy activator.

I like the idea of making a block frame and wedges. Only problem I forsee is that these stars (5 in total) are all slightly different sizes. Maybe I can make a single frame that could be accomdated by different sized wedges and shims.

Thanks guys

H.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A decent pva will grab fairly well in 10mins - I assume they'll be painted or glittered or something? Does a tiny gap matter? If not use pva, push them together and leave then. I think you're making complications where there are none.

 

[AndyT]

You can use PVA and little strips of masking tape, stretched for tension, on both sides of each joint.

Paul Sellers has just posted a nice video on making something similar

http://youtu.be/wlkinMSfn_g

 

[Halo Jones]

Maybe I am making it too complicated. I just like things to last!

I did see Pauls tricks of tape but those were on tiny, very nicely finished wood.

But it might be enough :-k

 

[Eric The Viking]

Screws on a bit of board - two for each straight edge, and spacer battens against them (lolly sticks or pencils would do):

Break it down into stages/sub-assemblies:

Doing one point: Put the screws on two lines intersecting at 72 degrees, to force the blunter end of the kite shape together (middle of the star), with spring clips or similar doing the pointy end. Repeat x4. That's the five individual points glued. I'd also tape round the pointy ends to keep them aligned so they don't slide against each other on the glue line, similar to the way you do mitred boxes, etc.

Same idea again but at 144 degrees for glueing two points together Doing this twice gets you 2x 2/5ths of a star.

Those two sub-assemblies go together pushed against a straightedge with tape or an elastic band round the narrowest part.

You can then push the final point into the "V" just made.

I think it would all work with PVA.

 

[DiscoStu]

I'd use a board with some pins / nails in it. Assemble each section at a time and then pin it in place, then keep working my way round. it certainly doesn't look the easiest thing to glue. So I don't think you're over complicating it!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I was assuming the five points were made first, then glued as a whole - it would obviously be far more difficult to glue if it were in ten pieces.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Any other ideas?

Making Stars with Paul Sellers will be on the right.

HTH,
Neil

 

[dickm]

Must be my eyes, but it looks as if the star is not just flat, but 3 dimensional? If, so then just clamping via a baseboard won't work, as the tighter they go, the more the "top" joint will open. Hence my suggestion of brads through what look to me to be crests.

 

[Halo Jones]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the ideas. I've just tried the tape method - which went OK but I have 5 of these so I am also going to try making a board with wedges too.

**** - The stars are flat. It must be an optical illusion or my lucky choice of timbers next to each other.

I should have said that the two boards which make up a point were glued together before I cut them so I only have 5 pieces to join.

I will post the results later.

H.

 

[RogerP]

It's possible to use both CA and PVA.
A small dollop of CA surrounded by PVA. The CA holds it together whilst the PVA dries.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I've just tried the tape method - which went OK but I have 5 of these so I am also going to try making a board with wedges too.

Continue with tape, but use a better tape. Alternatives to masking tape are Sellotape, (a good quality brand which will be thick, tough, and sticky) and heavier duty plastic parcel tape. Both have much better elastic qualities than masking tape which you use to pull the joint up tight. Slainte.

 

[Giff]

Hot glue gun ? Then pin from the inside when set ? G

 

[busy builder]

Must be my eyes, but it looks as if the star is not just flat, but 3 dimensional? If, so then just clamping via a baseboard won't work, as the tighter they go, the more the "top" joint will open. Hence my suggestion of brads through what look to me to be crests.

I thought the same. Must be the way you cut the timber.

 

[Halo Jones]

Hi All,

Just thought I'd let you know that masking tape worked. I did it in three sections, gluing 2 points together then join those and finally slot the last point into place:


The joint is strong enough - I dropped one by accident and it was the wood that split, no where near a glue joint!

Thanks for all the suggestions,

H.