old time table making

[la Huerta]

before biscuts where invented , how was a table top joined together, i have an antique cedar architects board here and it has 2 parrallel planks on the under side with screws washers and slots in the boards to allow for movement, this also keeps the whole thing very very flat...using this method would biscuts or some sort of spline really be necessary...

[mic-jagger]

you dont need biscuts for joining tops, they are only used for allignment and have no bearing on strength at all. long grain to long grain using plain old pva will give a glue line join that will be stronger than the timber itself.

[derekcohen]

la Huerta

I am presently working on a hall table, Jarrah top and Blackbutt legs/frame. The top really did not need to be biscuited together - it does not need the strength nor does it need special allignment. Nevertheless, I used dowels (Stanley #59 dowelling jig) to give just a little less work in the flattening department. I prefer dowels for a job like this since they are more precise than biscuits (on the other hand, you have to work more precisely with them than biscuits, which are more forgiving). I have also built many tabletops without biscuits or dowels. As I said earlier, they are not necessary.

Here is the top in progress (picture was actually taken for the BUJ article I am preparing):

<div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/image002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br />

Regards from Perth

Derek

[echnidna]

la Huerta

I am presently working on a hall table, Jarrah top and Blackbutt legs/frame. The top really did not need to be biscuited together - it does not need the strength nor does it need special allignment. Nevertheless, I used dowels (Stanley #59 dowelling jig) to give just a little less work in the flattening department. I prefer dowels for a job like this since they are more precise than biscuits (on the other hand, you have to work more precisely with them than biscuits, which are more forgiving). I have also built many tabletops without biscuits or dowels. As I said earlier, they are not necessary.

Here is the top in progress (picture was actually taken for the BUJ article I am preparing):

<div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/image002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br />

Regards from Perth

Derek

Would viwers please note that the front and rear wheels have been left off Derek's plane for picture clarity.

[mic-jagger]

The one danger with dowells, is way to many people are to anxious to finish the top as soon as the glue has dried. The dowells swell and when they plaine or sand they are taking off a small hump in the timber. Soon as the dowells stableise and srink back a fraction which may take a week or two, they are then left with "dowell hollows" down the joins. The old fashion way gluing up and using a mallet to flatten in the clamps is the go, not to mention the quickest.

[LineLefty]

I've now joined two large panels together. MAybe it's a bit of Zen but I just jont the boards (as perfect as I can make them by hand), lay them flat and then glue them. Turned out perfect.

No dowels, biscuits or fancy panel clamps. I'm sure I'm missing something here.............

[mic-jagger]

Linelefty`s right.... No dowels, biscuits or fancy panel clamps... Why complicate a simple process.

[Greolt]

This is a subject I am interested in. Have been meaning to ask for a while.

In the past I have done tops by using a ply tongue about 25mm wide in a groove done with a router. (stopping short each end)

Seemed to work OK but I take it experienced people would say "too much mucking about" or "not worth the trouble"

What is your opinion?

Greolt

[mic-jagger]

Greolt. Glue up a bit of scrap board, no dowells, biscuts, nothing. Leave it a day or two and try and break the glue line. youl snap the timber first.

[Auld Bassoon]

G'day La Huerta,

Keep it simple is the message above, it would seem!

I've almost (!) finished another cabinet for the workshop using scraps of this 'n that; the base and back is simple crapiata, jointed (with No8 & No6) planes, then glued up in a clamping frame; ditto the sides, but using Meranti. Flat, even, and square (actually rectangular).

In both cases the joins are virtually invisible (especially with the Meranti as the grain leads the eye away).

The front doors are 12mm ply, veneered with shop-re-sawn Cypress veneer; on this the joins are (just) visible - simply because I couldn't figure a way of clamping veneer so that it wouldn't buckle or crack, and I could only get 100mm wide strips from the boards that I have (ideas anyone?), but the matched and super-smooth golden surface looks great!

A bit of an odd mixture of timber, I know, but it's what I had innocently lying around, and the end result looks pretty good for a shop cabinet.

If anyone's interested, I'll grab a couple of pics tomorrow?

Cabinet size is 900mm wide, 960 high and 400 deep.

Cheers!

[Robert WA]

Would viwers please note that the front and rear wheels have been left off Derek's plane for picture clarity.

"The front and rear wheels" and the power cord.

Rob

[Driver]

If anyone's interested, I'll grab a couple of pics tomorrow?

Let's have a look, Steve!

[la Huerta]

yes simple sounds good,so just a few pipe clamps should do the trick , right ?...and with mortice and tennons , i'd never have to buy biscuts again.

speaking of mortice and tennons, does anyone use the bandsaw and a drill press for this, i'm looking for speed too, was thinking of a mortice jig attached to the drill press like hare and forbs sells...