Workbench design questions

[Swiftedge]

So annoying. Cutting them went ok. Then I planed until appeared flat. Lined up and slight gap in the middle. Kept planing, checking and adjusting for over an hour and just couldn’t get rid of the slight parting in the middle. Flipped it over and tried the other sides against each other in all combinations, but the same gap in the middle for all.
Eventually gave up and have just glued it. Probably around 1/3 in the centre doesn’t make full contact. I just have to hope it holds. If I stick with the through mortices to hold the top on then the ends shouldn’t hopefully not have much chance to come apart. If they do then I’ll just have to end up with a split bench.

 

[Jacob]

So annoying. Cutting them went ok. Then I planed until appeared flat. Lined up and slight gap in the middle. Kept planing, checking and adjusting for over an hour and just couldn’t get rid of the slight parting in the middle. Flipped it over and tried the other sides against each other in all combinations, but the same gap in the middle for all.
Eventually gave up and have just glued it. Probably around 1/3 in the centre doesn’t make full contact. I just have to hope it holds. If I stick with the through mortices to hold the top on then the ends shouldn’t hopefully not have much chance to come apart. If they do then I’ll just have to end up with a split bench.

Too late, but perhaps should have said - if you do the one glue up at a time process as described above, you check that the next one fits first before gluing it, and do a bit more planing if necessary.
Also it still looks like your clamps are too weak.

 

[JobandKnock]

Yes. T-bar cramps would have pulled them together. Even cramp heads on 3 x 1s would probably have been enough

 

[Swiftedge]

I’d done the 1 by 1 gluing and those were all good. This is the final stage 4 and 3 glued, now a final 4 to that 7.

I had planed and adjusted these two pieces but got fed up not being able to eliminate the gap.

This stage is being compressed by the weight of the 7 above and a 30kg paving slab. But I know that doesn’t match the force of one good clamp in the middle (which I don’t own).

Entirely my own fault

 

[Adam W.]

If it's an issue, you could just squirt some epoxy in it.

 

[Swiftedge]

If it's an issue, you could just squirt some epoxy in it.

Do you have one that you recommend? There are a lot out there, I wouldn’t need much.

 

[Adam W.]

No sorry, I don't have any experience with that, but I'm sure there is someone here who has that knowledge.

 

[yetloh]

West System, extensively used in the boat business and very reliable.


Jim