Dresser top

**Tex B** · 27th November 2005, 06:17 PM

OK guys. Thanks to your help and advice I have started the dresser for my daughter's wedding present. Got some lovely jarrah, new table saw, and a few other tools Mrs Tex doesn't know about yet.

Made the first cuts today to glue up the top. The final size is about 550 x 1020. Rough cuts of 3 - 190 x 1070 boards (19mm). Only problem is the middle board has a slight concave bow on one side I can't seem to get out with my limited skills so far. Ran it through the TS on a sled which got one side straight. Then ripped the other side but it still has the bow. Tried the sled again and just can't quite get it. I'm a bit nervous about running it through the TS too much as it might make it noticeably thinner than the other two. I do have room for at least one more go if needed, since the other two will be trimmed to final size (unless I make the carcase too big).

The gap is fairly small, about 1mm in the center.

I think the options are:

1. just glue and clamp and hope it holds
2. put a straight line on one side and try to hand plane to the line (I do have a Stanley #7 courtesy of S Claus a few years ago)
3. try the TS jig another day
4. buy an expensive machine to make it go away

It's Sunday evening, and I plan to have a glass of red and think about it. I'm leaning towards getting the #7 out after work later this week and having a go.

Planning to use biscuits and glue when it's ready.

What do you guys suggest?

Thanks,

Tex

**Auld Bassoon** · 27th November 2005, 06:32 PM

Hi Tex,

Clamping and hoping won't work I'm afraid

If I read your description correctly, you have a hollow in the baord's edge? If so, a machine jointer is the ideal way, but your #7 should enable you to do the same thing - that's why it's called a jointer

Make sure the edge is 90deg to the face, and scribble all the way along the length of the board. As it has a hollow, use a straight edge, and mark on the board's face where the hollow starts and ends, and get an idea of how much needs to be removed from the two ends of the edge.

Start the planing cut, then gently lift off just before where the hollow starts, then recommence the cut just after where the hollow ends. Keep checking with the straight edge and with a square, and creep up to the depth required.

When there's barely any hollow left, one or two full length shallow cuts should see the job done.

Cheers!

**Tex B** · 27th November 2005, 07:10 PM

You make it sound so easy.

**Auld Bassoon** · 27th November 2005, 07:45 PM

Well, it's not hard - but if you haven't done this before, I'd suggest a couple of practice runs on some scrap first.

Do achieve an acceptable result, the plan iron will need to be good and sharp, and you'll need to plane "downhill" (i.e. with the grain) to avoid tearout - so a small mouth setting (if your plane is adjustable in that way) and small cuts are the way.

BTW, if the hollow is still there after a couple of passes over the T/S, is there a bow in the board as well? That could throw the whole issue out.

Another small tip: Lay the boards together in the sequence that you want them, considering grain, etc., and mark across the set a big 'V' edge to edge; then mark each board's edge as being "in" or "out" - that is facing in towards the centre, or out towards the outer edge. Do the final plane cut with a pair of boards as a set of "in" and "out" together so that you'll cut each surface of the mating faces in one go - this helps eliminate any variations from the absolutely perpendicular as the variation is cancelled out one board respective to the other. I hope that that makes sense...

Cheers!

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