Subject: Thin Panel Glue-up

From: "Jim" <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 Feb 97 13:29:54 GMT

Does anyone know of a good technique for gluing up thin panels? I am making
a humidor and need to glue a panel approx 10" x 16" using thin strips of
1/4 Spanish Cedar to minimize twisting of the liner.  Any suggestions will
be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for any help
Jim

---

From: [email-masked] (Al Taylor)
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 05:39:21 GMT

>1/4 Spanish Cedar to minimize twisting of the liner.  Any suggestions will

Jim,

The easiest way is to use the old wedge method of clamping. I can't
remember where I saw this but it makes glueing up thin pieces a snap.

Get a piece of flat plywood, piece of oriented strand board, or any
other flat piece big enough to hold the 10"x16" panel and a couple of
extra fixtures (say 2' x 3' - big enough for any future thin panels).
At one end of the board tack a strip of wood, (1"x1"x3') either with
brad nails or glue it to form a back-stop to hold the panel pieces as
pressure is put on them from the other side.

Cut out a few wedges, say 4" long and 1" wide at one end.

Cut a piece of 1"x4"x3' for use as a floating stop for the other side
of the panel. By floating I mean you will move it to fit different
sizes of panels.

Put some newspaper or wax paper down on the board to keep the squeeze
out of glue from welding it to the jig itself. Keep the paper on the
flat part of the board, don't let it hang over the strip on the end.

Lay the pieces down on the paper and up against the back-stop.

Move the floating stop with the wedges between it and the panel pieces
( before you apply the glue just to practice ) to a distance such that
when the wedges are tapped against each other they will force the
panel pieces against the back stop. clamp the floating stop to the
2'x3' board, and tap the wedges.........

you know....I've just looked at what I've written, and while it makes
sense to me, a picture is worth a thousand words.
I've drawn a picture in BMP format - black and white - so that anyone
with windows can see it, it's only about 59k. E-mail me if you want me
to attach it to a return e-mail.

You should apply weight to the pieces to keep them from cupping up as
you apply pressure with the wedges. Do this in a way so that whatever
you use isn't glued to the panel.

Forgive the long drawn out explanation if you are already familiar
with this method, but it is very handy.

Al

---

From: [email-masked] (David Meiland)
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 03:23:42 GMT

Joint the material carefully, and check everything for a good fit.
Screw a narrow piece of 1/4" material to a piece of 3/4 melamine. Lay
the pieces to be glued together on the melamine, against the strip you
screwed down. Screw down another strip about three inches away from
the cedar on the opposite side. Cut a couple of pairs of matching
wedges (1/4" thick) and use them opposing to apply the clamping
pressure. Easy does it. Lay another piece of melamine on top of the
glueup to keep it flat as it cures.

DM

---

From: [email-masked] (Victor Kan)
Date: 15 Feb 1997 02:24:28 -0500

>>>>> ""Jim"" == "Jim"  <[email-masked]> writes:
In article <[email-masked]> "Jim" <[email-masked]> writes:

"Jim"> Does anyone know of a good technique for gluing up thin panels?
"Jim"> I am making a humidor and need to glue a panel approx 10" x 16"
"Jim"> using thin strips of 1/4 Spanish Cedar to minimize twisting of
"Jim"> the liner.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I recently glued up a ~ 12"x12" square of 3/16" x 4" balsa boards with
good success for a table tennis blade (AKA a ping pong paddle :-).

I used a couple of Bessey K-body clamps laying down on their side with
a couple of pairs of cawls (battens?) spring-clamped perpendicular to
the joints to keep the panel from bending/buckling under moderate
clamp pressure.  I intended to use three pairs, but I got too lazy to
setup the glue up such that my 7" reach clamps would work, so I took a
chance.  I was lucky and the panel is flat.

The cawls are strips of material with holes drilled where the glue
lines would be, then ripped in half to form a matched pair that go
over and under the boards.

---

From: r s herman <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 09:10:53 -0600

> >1/4 Spanish Cedar to minimize twisting of the liner.  Any suggestions will

Sounds like a good application for the cyanacrylic instant glues.
A pieceof wax paper on a flat surface, with a temporary stop on one 
side. Holding pressure on the "free" piece with one hand, apply the 
instant glue to the joint-It will draw down by capillary action. After
ten seconds or less, repeat with the next piece. No cauls, and your 
hands are the most flexible clamping system I have ever seen. I 
basically don't like these "crazy glues" but they do, on occasion work
well within their limitations-Don't we all?

Roger H.
-- 
Life is too important to take seriously.