Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 19

Thread: Bonding solid-wood table top to plywood base?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Southeastern MA
    Posts
    204

    Bonding solid-wood table top to plywood base?

    I'm building a bar top out of cherry boards planed to about 3/4" (really closer to 13/16 to leave room for sanding).

    I plan on bonding it to a 3/4" plywood base for strength.

    Im curious how you guys would go about this? I was thinking lots of wood-glue spread evenly across the plywood, and then applying the cherry boards to it.... and maybe running a few screws through the back to provide compression while the glue cures?


    is there a better/more preferable way to go about this?

  2. #2
    Trying to figure out why it needs to be stronger than just the cherry top. Hope it's dancing girls and not a fight!! Would not glue it to something else ,that could make some small movement turn into big warp. The most I would do is add some cleats on the bottom with slots (instead of round holes) to help strengthen yet allow some harmless movement.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,494
    Blog Entries
    1
    This question gets asked a few times a year. Surface bonding a material that moves (cherry) to a material that does not (or not as much like plywood) generally results in some variation of failure at the first significant humidity swing.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Camillus, NY
    Posts
    356
    +1. Don't do it. Just add cleats or an apron structure with expansion slots for screws.
    Jerry

    "It is better to fail in originality than succeed in imitation" - Herman Melville

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Southeastern MA
    Posts
    204
    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Trying to figure out why it needs to be stronger than just the cherry top. Hope it's dancing girls and not a fight!! Would not glue it to something else ,that could make some small movement turn into big warp. The most I would do is add some cleats on the bottom with slots (instead of round holes) to help strengthen yet allow some harmless movement.
    hopefully dancing girls!!! I'll have to check with the wife to see if I can raise the ceiling to make room!

    Actually; besides strength, the plywood serves to add a lip for a bar rail to set up on.

    When we say cleats: what do we mean exactly?

  6. #6
    While there's nothing wrong with adding plywood, particularly to make the top look thicker, it won't add a lot of strength, nor should you bond solid wood to it because solid wood moves and plywood does not. What's wrong with just screwing the plywood to the cherry from beneath, using elongated holes in the plywood to allow wood movement?

  7. #7
    A cleat would be a piece of wood ,probably no more than couple inches wide , going in opposite direction from the cherry top .Just a cross brace.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Southeastern MA
    Posts
    204
    That should work I think... I just wanted to provide the maximum amount of strength possible, since there's a good 12" overhang.

    So: how does this sound then:

    1: I screw the plywood base directly into the cabinets.

    2: I pre-drill holes through the plywood at certain intervals (16" or so?)

    3: I use cabinet screws (or another wide-head screw) to go straight into the cherry top from underneath?

    I think thats what we're getting at? Giving g the screw lateral movement through the plywood?


    And should I consider silicone caulking at all to provide extra adhesion? Or just rely solely on screws?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Southeastern MA
    Posts
    204
    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    A cleat would be a piece of wood ,probably no more than couple inches wide , going in opposite direction from the cherry top .Just a cross brace.
    I don't know why I'm having such a hard time visualizing this? (I guess it shows how much of a rookie I am here).

    When I think cleat, I think of a piece of wood attached to the wall to provide support.

    do you have a picture or example of what you're talking about? I appreciate the help!

  10. #10
    Maybe "at right angle to cherry top" is more accurate.

  11. #11
    https://www.google.com/search?q=clea...DduPJ2cxvkAbM: u can also do a sliding dove tail if u want to go fancy

    when u do it u want to make the cleat tight to the wood but also be able to move so a oval hole in the same direction as the woods width
    Last edited by David T gray; 02-19-2017 at 7:51 PM.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Southeastern MA
    Posts
    204
    Okay. I see now.

    I dont think I can make that work for my application, due to height restrictions. Now I'm wondering what I can do to make this project work!

  13. #13
    take a picture of what u are trying to do.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,694
    I wouldn't bond them at all...you'll have a serious wood movement issue when the cherry expands/contracts seasonally and the plywood doesn't. Edge glue the cherry up into a panel, and then fasten to the plywood with screws from the bottom in slots that are in the same direction wood movement will occur in the cherry. Make the screws snug so that the cherry panel will stay flat, but not so snug that the panel cannot expand/contract as it is wont to do.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Southeastern MA
    Posts
    204
    Quote Originally Posted by David T gray View Post
    take a picture of what u are trying to do.
    IMG_0450.jpg

    Essentially I have the sub top and the actual top. The sub top is plywood and the actual top is cherry planks glued on edge to make a single panel.

    I was going to glue the sub top and cherry top together, but I'm finding now that it's a terrible idea (good thing I checked first!!!).

    So now, I'm thinking I should glue and screw the sub top to the cabinets. Then I can use screws and washers to attach the top to the sub top?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •