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Thread: Slab table jointing help

  1. #1
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    Slab table jointing help

    I am making a dining room table from two slabs. These are 110" long. Lacking a straight edge that long, I made one long enough to cut with my circular saw, reasonably straight. I am trying to joint the edge now by hand. I'm using a Veritas BU jointer with an edge guide. It's made getting the edges square easy. However, there is a 1/16" gap in the middle of the table (where that sap wood appears).

    What is the best method for removing this gap? I was planning to make a series of strokes from each end of one board, making them increasingly longer until I reach the middle. Test. Repeat.

    How would you do it? I'm nervous about messing up the whole edge and then having to re-rip and risk losing more width...
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  2. #2
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    Some thoughts: Get yourself a sheet of 1/8th inch rubber sheet from the plumbing department and slice it into pieces to cushion your clamps to keep from marring those natural edges when you glue it up. If you clamp in the middle across the gap, can you close it? How thick are these boards? Can you fashion a straight edge at least 6 feet long from another board? I'd rely on as long a straight edge as I could muster and plane as you say - more at the ends and then working towards a final full length stroke. If it still didn't fit you need to remove high spots by spot planning them along the length. scribbling a pencil on the shop made wood straight edge, might help reveal high spot if you rub and run it along. As in all joint making keep the show face in mind. In other words, given a choice of having a few thousandths gap on the top or bottom, make it the bottom.
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

  3. #3
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    Thanks, Sean. These are about 1 3/4" thick. I doubt I'll be able to spring that joint into submission. I may use draw bolts in lieu of clamps. I might not even use glue. Should my neighbor (that's who it's for) want to move, it might make it easier.

    What would a shorter (say 6') straight edge do for me?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    What would a shorter (say 6') straight edge do for me?
    You are using a plane that is less than 2 feet long and running it over 9 feet. Your jointer therefore has plenty of runway to behave like a smoother. That sole does not remember the first three feet when it is in the middle of the next three feet. A six foot straight edge seems makeable on you table saw - checked on the saw top or your bench if that's nice and flat. Then you can span at least two-third of the joint and get some useful reading as you spot plane to get things into a straight line.
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

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    I would leave an 1/8" gap between the slabs, makes life a bit easier in the way of expansion, because you're working with the expansion of two separate boards from that of one very wide board. You can fix them in the center and allow them to expand outward in the same manner as what would be done.

    That being said, if you want to joint these I would recommend getting a precision ground straight edge longer than the boards (i have one that's 8' for this sort of project).
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  6. #6
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    No offense, Brian, but if this is to be a dining table, and 1/8th inch gap down the middle is sort of a pain in use. A difficult to clean ditch catching crumbs and crud or letting it fall through.
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

  7. #7
    Set a jointer plane to get an even cut and joint a pass or two on the ends of the boards (not the middle), check progress. it should narrow significantly.

    Since the joint is practically finished, the last thing you want to do is favor the cut to the left or the right, but what you have to do is fairly easy aside from handling large boards.

    You don't have much wood to remove. Take a look at it where you stand right now, and figure maybe planing one stroke a foot to the ends of the boards and another stroke two feet. Do it on every end and check progress. You won't have to do it many times for the joint to fit.

    (edit - upon looking at the picture, it appears that the gap is only at the sap wood and most of the length of the table is fine. Still, what you need to do is the same, just along whatever length of wood needs to be removed, and if less needs to be removed in the middle, then do a little more work on the ends. If you're concerned about the joint becoming uneven, leave one of the boards in your vise so that you can lay one board on top of the other as you go along to test the fit (if you get out of whack, a short straight edge won't lay straight across the boards when you put one on top of the other).
    Last edited by David Weaver; 11-15-2014 at 2:01 PM.

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    Awesome tips, guys. ThAnks. Sean, duh. I should have realized what u meant. Check te edge against a longer straigt reference. Of course.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean Hughto View Post
    No offense, Brian, but if this is to be a dining table, and 1/8th inch gap down the middle is sort of a pain in use. A difficult to clean ditch catching crumbs and crud or letting it fall through.
    None taken, however, splitting the top is typical for slab dining tables.

    I build a slab dining table earlier this year with a split top, if there is any issue with it hampering the use I'd have found out about it by now.

    Almost all of Nakashima's bookmatched dining tables are made in this manner, some have been in use for nearly 65 years.
    Last edited by Brian Holcombe; 11-15-2014 at 3:07 PM.
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  10. #10
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    I've never tried a split top. But I have wiped down a lot tables ...
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

  11. #11
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    Have you considered hiring someone to wipe your tables for you? It may alleviate your concerns to have some experienced hands on the job.
    Last edited by Brian Holcombe; 11-15-2014 at 3:47 PM.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  12. #12
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    I know you are using a fence, but have you checked the center for squareness? You may be going out of square as you walk down the board.
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  13. #13
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    Yeah, perhaps when I win the lottery. Till then I guess I'll just be deprived of the split top pleasure owing to my inept crumb gathering.

    More seriously perhaps - I'm odd in my design sense I suppose. I tend to foego interesting elements from an aesthetic angle if I think they will make a piece of furniture less pleasant to use for its intended purpose. Most, no doubt, value the more dramatic or pretty even if it might mean minor compromises in use. It's a quirk of mine, and just a taste thing really, not something for which there is an objective better and worse.
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

  14. #14
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    First off, I have never tried to joint anything even close to this length. However, I would probably try to joint both of them while they are clamped together. Not exactly edge jointing, being 3 1/2 in. wide, and it may not end up straight. But with reasonable care they should make a near perfect match when put together.

  15. #15
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    Everything is to some degree, frivolous and for aesthetic purpose. However, the split top has a functional purpose with regard to large slab tables, cutting the movement you have to contend with in half, in addition to other positive aspects of splitting the top.

    I really dont think everything needs to become a point of contention, it is a suggestion which is viable and used by makers who produce a great number of very nicely built slab tables. It's out there for Prashun to consider, and that was my purpose in mentioning it.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

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