edge jointing extra long lumber... best method?

[Matteo Lorenzo]

So I have some 14ft planks of 1x12 cypress that I need to prep for glue up for an outdoor table.

I may still split them into manageable >6" width planks and rejoin to deal with cupping - but my issue is this:

I have a relatively decent at-home shop, but its not exactly set up this length material.

disclaimer - this is supposed to be a "farmhouse" outdoor table, so, it really doesnt have to be perfect, i just dont want the top splitting open on me.

I have thought and thought and tried several ways without a 'great' result, although I have gotten a 'pretty much straight' many times... just nothing that would give you that seamless result we all strive for...


if you had to choose a tool to make a nice straight edge on these long planks, which would it be and how would you do it?

table saw (no straight cut jig set up, especially not one adapted for a 14ft board)
router with edge guide and straight cutting bit with bearing
circular saw (i have a straight edge, but its only 48" - also have some long strips of 1/2 mdf that were cut nice and straight... this could be an alternate for a straight edge perhaps?)
6 in jointer (craftsman 1959) that works well but i dont have sufficient infeed and outfeed
hand planes (longest i have is an 11" jack)
???other tools i havent considered?

any advice you got would be appreciated... im sort of stuck with this one.

thanks all!
matt

[mreza Salav]

I don't have answer to your questions but I am thinking your idea of making a 14' long table in one piece is questionable for various reasons. Even if you get your boards straight I think face joining and planing them will leave about 3/4" or a bit over. That's too thin for such a large table.
Aside from that have you considered how you will be moving that table?
I'd make it in smaller sections that are more manageable.

[Allan Speers]

If you're really going to do this, a tracksaw is the obvious answer. You probably have to buy extra track, then sell some after you're done. You could theoretically use only an 8-10' section of track, and shift it half-way through the cut, but I had to do that once in an emergency (on location, forgot one track section) and I don't recommend it.

With that length, I'd do it twice: Once to get close, then after a week, again to final width and straightness.

If you already have a circular saw, then I suggest the excellent Eurekazone track & base. Otherwise, you have many choices such as Festool, Triton, Dewalt, Grizzly, etc.

[Bradley Gray]

Maybe you have someone near you with a big jointer - I have one 9ft long - easy to run 14'

or arrange the boards with the crowns all on the same side and skip jointing. Cypress is soft and will flex some. I would leave a gap between the boards for drainage.

[Robert Engel]

I use roller stands on long boards.

To the design: IMO an outdoor tables will hold up best if you do not make one single top, but rather leave a small space between boards.
This facilitates drainage, eliminates the worries about gluing up a single large top, and most of all, takes the cupping issue off the table because each individual plank can be fastened. (I agree with you about ripping to 6" widths).
Horizontal wood surfaces, in an outdoor situation, and no matter what kind of wood or finish, are subject to more movement and deterioration.

[Bill Orbine]

You are better to have help when jointing long boards. Have at least one person to help. One person mans the jointer and is the one and only to feed and guide board across jointer. The help stand at the one end of board to help support the board .....AND ONLY SUPPORT! When the board reaches about half way across jointer, the help goes to the other end of the board to catch it and help support. It's nice to have two helpers, one at the infeed end and the other at the outfeed end but you can manage with one walking like a chicken with a head. You can use stands, but the stands does not compensate for variable height as well as people do. BTDT many times.

[Prashun Patel]

I had to do this on a 9 foot table and ended up using a shop made straight edge and a circular saw, then a jointer plane with an edge guide (to keep the edge square). This required some back and forth but was immensely satisfying...ON ONE JOINT!

If I had to do multiple joints I would look for an easier solution.

If you use a track saw, you have to take pains to insure your tracks stay straight across the bridging. I am not even sure if these tracks excel when having to put multiple tracks together. The EZ Smart track I used clamps only at the ends of the boards, so even if I did have 3 tracks in my possession, I wonder if they would have flexed in the center. Research this b4 committing to a track saw. My research didn't convince me that bridged tracks were good at jointing.

You might consider making your own straight edge guide for a circular saw or router. You could manually make your own precision straight edge, and then screw it to the bottom of each plank at various points to insure rigidity.

[Frank Drew]

Matteo,

Is the table going to be outdoors but under cover, as on a porch, or completely outdoors, in the yard exposed to the sun and rain, etc.? If the latter, it agree with the suggestions to leave gaps between the boards.

[lowell holmes]

I would rip on my table saw and glue the pieces together. Then I would rip the joint on the glue line and glue it back together again.

Actually, I would probably use a jointer handplane on it and resort to the method described above.

[Scott T Smith]

I would either use a long straight edge with a circular saw (made from a long piece of straight steel or aluminum), or a track saw if more precision was required.

[Warren Lake]

jointer for me but not the one you have.

jointer, rollers either side not a helper. Board edge crown side down and start the cut into the board part way through, carve away the crown with each pass, keep repeating running on that center flat section till youve done a full pass through

[Mel Fulks]

Good to see "crown side down " written by someone other than me. But I prefer a good helper to stands,some have excellent ability to feel table surface. Others can't learn it.

[Allan Speers]

If I had to do multiple joints I would look for an easier solution.

If you use a track saw, you have to take pains to insure your tracks stay straight across the bridging. I am not even sure if these tracks excel when having to put multiple tracks together. The EZ Smart track I used clamps only at the ends of the boards, so even if I did have 3 tracks in my possession, I wonder if they would have flexed in the center. Research this b4 committing to a track saw. My research didn't convince me that bridged tracks were good at jointing. .

I once did a ton of 12' long cuts (at least 50 cuts in 2" - 4" thick Oak) ) with 2 EZ tracks fastened together. It was a slight pain to initially get them straight, and once fastened, you have to be a little careful when moving them. - But it worked out just fine, and that was with a 10" circular saw.

You want to use THREE connectors for this: both sides AND the center.

[Warren Lake]

Mel,

Ive had a helper before on a few things with good feel and depending on what operation it was. I like to be free to move the speed I want and place things where I want since im dropping the board onto the table just ahead of the cutter. Ive done 14-16 foot 4./4 boards a number of times with a rack of rollers on infeed side. Their height is critical maybe a hair on the low side as well as being square the jointer or the boards walk. Stands with Melmine top work better on the outfeed side but probably it was easier for me to set that up at the time. that machine is a SCM Combo and tables probably 69" long but should check that, not really long anyway.

If i didnt have a machine id probably snap a chaulk line then use a power planer then finish with a hand plane. Or id go to someones shop with a bigger jointer and take a board and make it straight to use as a straight edge guide for some other tool

[jack forsberg]

For long wide boards that we make for flooring or tops 12 to 16 inches wide we set up a long table and off set fence on the spindle moulder . My helper then becomes a power feeder. Make the fence with a string 8 feet strips on either side of the cutter. I offset 1/8 of an inch and run until I'm good