Thread: Table top bowed with dominos?

Originally Posted by rustynail

Why people insist on using domino's etc in table tops, I have no idea. It is just one more thing to go wrong or create complication. What is wrong with a simple, well glued butt joint?

Not all of us have Frontline clamps 🤣🤣🤣

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Not all of us have Frontline clamps 藍藍藍

And with properly jointed edges you don't need them; just alternate over and under with normal sash clamps.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Why people insist on using domino's etc in table tops, I have no idea. It is just one more thing to go wrong or create complication. What is wrong with a simple, well glued butt joint?

I could not agree more, I built 32 table tops and had no alignment issues and took minimal amounts off them to get the edges flush, you get pretty good at it after a while. I found that the amount of glue is the key as the two edges will float on the glue and misalign, I put a minimal amount of glue on to eliminate squeeze out, let it go tacky and then clamp the boards and the edges do not float on the glue. You can push them together and align them before clamping doing it that way.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Why people insist on using domino's etc in table tops, I have no idea. It is just one more thing to go wrong or create complication. What is wrong with a simple, well glued butt joint?

and you don't need fancy Plano or Frontline panel clamps

A couple of things here. And be aware that you can never set your jointer fence perfectly, perfectly, perfectly, to an accurate to 90°.

As has been mentioned alternate the grain or rings up and down before gluing.

On the bench lay out your table top for final assembly. With chalk, mark each board "top". At each joint of the boards along the edge grain of the table top, mark "In" on the board edge closest to you and "Out" on the adjacent board. Run the boards through the jointer again, re-jointing the edge grain. Joint the edge grain "In" against the fence and joint the edge grain "Out" away from the fence. This removes any angle inaccuracy across the table top.

Now do your glue up. You probably don't need dominos, dowels or biscuits as they just add another machining step that can cause bowing.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Not all of us have Frontline clamps 藍藍藍

Nor do I.

Cut up pieces of MDF today and put some mortises in. In some pieces it bowed and in some they were flat. It must be my technique. When I was pushing really hard on the fence and somewhat hard down on the tool I think it was better - hopefully this solves the problem!

Introducing different timbers directly into a glue joint can create a whole new set of problems. The least of which can be unequal expansion and contraction - the last thing you want at a glue joint.

I did the MDF to test the accuracy of the domino, not to attach to the table!

How’s the fit of the biscuit in the slot. Is it sloppy?
When carbacrap first sold the porter cable joiners the disc under the blade not being true made it cut like a drunk saw.
I mentioned this to Geoff but he wasn’t fussed they still sold and most of the punters either never used them or didn’t have a clue as to the fit of the biscuits.
H.

on the tight setting the dominos are really tight, need to use vice grips to get them out.

Hey qwerty, try shaving the little 'spines' off the edges of your dominoes before test fitting. You can do it by rubbing along an upturned hand plane or carefully on a linisher. It's fiddly, but especially handy in cabinet work when you want a little play so you can tap components into line. Cheers

So, what exactly are these pesky little critters going to do? Bearing in mind table tops have been butt jointed for centuries without undue problems. Glues of today are stronger than the timber they bond. By installing some form of connectors, the open time of a joint is lengthened and what could have been a simple glue up has become complicated due to the number of added components being assembled for little reason other than you can. Why? If the timber is straight and true - as it should be, otherwise the stresses and strains on the joints are going to lead to a less than perfect finished product, dominos or no dominos. A well prepared set of table components should be able to be assembled with no force whatsoever. The clamps should do little more than hold things in position. Nothing nicer than putting a chair or table together that just fits up perfect. No stress no strain. This applies to the assembler also.

....I stress and strain at a fantastic level for EVERY glueup... Table or not