Jointing a very long edge? Best method

[Chems]

If I needed to joint a top that was 2.24m long what would be the best method. I think I'd upgrade my planer to a CT150, the beds are good and long and with some roller stand for supports it may be good enough but I'm not sure.

So my options are:
1. CT150
2. Tracksaw
3. No 8 jointing plane
4. Router and straight edge

I'd have a fair few to do, what would be best?

 

[jhwbigley]

A surfacer, and a no7/no 8.

Run over the surface planer first, then remove the planer ripple, and create a slight hollow with the no 7


simples

JH

 

[Karl]

James

I know that your current p/t isn't upto the job, but i've got an excellent method for doing such a job. And it doesn't need the 16' (ie 8' infeed and 8' outfeed) that a surface planer does.

I'll take some pics later. Easier than trying to explain.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Chems]

Thanks Karl.

I don't really believe in the plane a hollow method, one cause my clamps haven't got enough strength to bring it together, and secondly I imagine you'd have to wait a full 24 hours for the glue to bond as the joint would be sprung, I love the fact I can take my panels out of clamps with TB3 in half an hour.

 

[jhwbigley]

A little reading on sprung joints


I'd be tempted to leave 2.24 m over night.

JH

 

[JonnyD]

I use a few different methods either straight of the jointer for normal work. Sometimes i just plonk the plank on the sliding table and cut it on the saw with a fine blade or for something such as a table top I will either saw or joint straight and then create a slightly hollow joint with a no.7. I think i would leave a glued up top with TB3 a lot longer than 30 mins probably 5-6 hours at least as the glue is still softish after 30 mins

cheers

jon

 

[ondablade]

Entirely from reading and with no practical experience - my own panel saw is not up and running yet. My impression though is that a good quality panel saw with a 3m sliding table and a glue line rip blade (if needed) is probably one commercial way to do it.

You could even build a little pre-tension into the joint when clamping the workpiece on to the sliding table.

Not everybody necessarily has one, but maybe a small fee somewhere might bum a person on to such a saw for the short time it would take - and save a lot of bother along the way.....

 

[Karl]

James

Take a piece of sheet material - in this case an 8' length of 18mm MRMDF

This in effect becomes a long shooting board.

Place the workpiece on top, with the minimum of material overhanging the straight edge. Clamp in place. I didn't have a long piece of timber.

Using the jointer on its side, plane away until the plane stops cutting. You could use a shorter plane - the shooting board is making the board straight, not the length of the plane.

I've used this system for jointing 8' boards. Of course, you need an 8' workbench, but that's another matter :lol:

HTH.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Chems]

Well I won't be taking the pieces to the friendly place to do on a panel saw. But by a few of you recommending panel saw I'm sure a track saw would do the same job. So track saw and little plane is the way forward?

Karl, thanks for those pictures. I just won't have space to get 2.24m on a bench to plane it in that manner.

 

[OPJ]

I was going to suggest something very similar to Karl's idea... Except, replace the hand plane with a router and bearing-guided cutter!! :twisted:

If the MDF sheet is cut parallel, to the finished size and with clean edges, you could effectively "thickness" your sawn boards to finished width. :wink: You could even stick it in place with double-sided tape.

So, that would sort out your edge problem... How are you going to make the face sides flat and true? Chances are, there won't be many 8ft boards at the yard that are perfectly flat and true...

 

[Chems]

Big P/T + Drum sander.

 

[Chems]

A surfacer, and a no7/no 8.

Run over the surface planer first, then remove the planer ripple, and create a slight hollow with the no 7


simples

JH

I tried a bit of a combination of your advice today. The lengths were only 1.3 meters but over the beds of my small P/T that was too much.

So I used Karls straight edge MDF, coupled with bearing guided router I then planed smooth and then took 3 passes in the centre of the board with the LN on a fine shaving. When it was all clamped up it seemed to be a perfect joint along the length especially at the ends where it hadn't been before.

TY for the advice guys.

 

[Doctor]

I don't understand, where is the long edge?

 

[Chems]

Oh I haven't done it yet. This is for a latter project. What I said above was just something I'm doing at the moment with a benchtop P/T so 1.3m for that is a little too long.

 

[chippy1970]

Tracksaw, lots of people use tracksaws for the job you describe.

 

[ondablade]

On using a track saw.

Now that i think of it i very successfully cut full length 45deg mitres on some 2.5m long pieces of 25mm birch ply last year using my Festo saw and guide system - i wanted to face the edge of the ply so that not just the top surface but also the edge face looked like solid birch. It worked 100%.

It felt a bit like i was bodging, but actually it did just fine with no fuss at all. I was impressed as if the cut surfaces had not been pretty much perfect (no marks, steps or tear out) right out to the 45 deg feather edge there would have been not only gaps but also bits of the darker glue/second layer of veneer showing.

The only real issues to be expected are (a) a nice sharp fresh (Festool - they cut cleaner than anything else i've tried) blade is probably advisable, and (b) if you need to joint two shorter sections of rail to make up the 2.5m length as i did you can't trust the Festo joiners to keep them straight alone - i ended up clamping a length of extruded aluminium box section along the back to get mine straight across the joint....

 

[Chems]

I think thats what its going to be, I don't really have the infeed outfeed on the table saw for 2.4m, its to close for comfort. Some saw horses outside will do nicely.

 

[ondablade]

Be careful with saw horses - lots of support is advisable. That's why i think a long slider type panel saw would simplify the job. Not only can you expect it to be flat and straight, but you can also clamp the wood down on the slider.

If the timber sags a little between the supports it may be OK, but it could mess things up a bit. It's surprising how heavily i seem at least to end up leaning down on the saw when it's on the track...

 

[Chems]

Lol, I think for the cost saved over a panel saw I can add some extra supports to the saw horses

Having said that I do have work surface of 2.4m so could just use that. Sometimes its easiest to bring the tool to the workpiece, I think this is probably a case.

 

[chippy1970]

Be careful with saw horses - lots of support is advisable.

Yeah I rushed a cut earlier this year, the work wasnt well supported the TS55 kicked back and took a big chunk out of my 2700 rail The rail still works fine but looks ugly.