Thread: benchtop with wide boards -cupping prevention advice?

Originally Posted by elver

1 year update...

Well, the joints in the bench have opened up at one end - the end away from the waterfall. The epoxy has just lifted straight off the joints. I used West System with 207 hardener. There are now gaps of about 1mm.

I needed to make a bench from the same timber, so to avoid problems I ran a few trials.

1) I glued the same timber with epoxy,
2) I then I tried acetone wipe down then epoxy,
3) then acetone wiped, with titebond III glue.
4) and lastly titebond III glue on plain bare timber.

I need to make a dining table out of this stuff. Any thoughts on how I can edge joint it better? I was thinking of using a hefty spline to assist add more surface area to the glue joint.

I think your problem may be forcing the slightly bowed timber flat.
The resulting shear force (as the timber tried to return to its bowed condition) was greater than what the epoxy could handle.

for your dining table, glue the boards together without trying to force any bow out of them. Then flatten the glued-up top.