Board Thickener (No Board Stretcher - YET!)

[Brian Kent]

The holy grail of lumber cutting is the "Board Stretcher". Alas, while there is still no solution in the length direction, I have found a "Board Thickener". And I was just following directions from Sam Maloof and Charles Brock for this project:
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=124002

I need a thicker board than I have. I have 8/4 Padauk sold at about 1-3/4". I need at least 10/4.

So I did a re-saw curve, moved the back to the front and the front to the back…

[Brian Kent]

Clamped the heck out of it. (I checked - all the heck was removed, but I needed even more clamps than these photos show)

And voila! Thicker lumber!

Now if anyone can figure our how to use this technique sideways, you have your Board Stretcher.

[Clint Schlosser]

That is a clever way to get a thick curved piece.

[Stephen Edwards]

That's a nice trick to know! Thanks for sharing.

[Glen Butler]

That's neat! Thanks for posting.

[Yitah Wu]

There is a way to stretch a board - very similar to what you did.

If you resaw a board along a slightly diagonal line, then offset slightly before gluing, you will in fact have have a longer and thinner board.

Hard to say if it's worth the effort of course

[mark r johnson]

Brian,
I'd like to see some close-ups of the glue joint after you have shaped the headrest. Looks like a good match and the joint is hardly noticeable. I'm sure the grain of the wood, glue type and all the clamps must be the secret. What kind of glue did you use?

10/4 and above is uncommon around here unless I wait for some to dry. I've also thought about mail ordering some 10/4 highly figured wood of the same species which might be a good solution, otherwise.

Good solution...

[Brian Kent]

Mark,

I think your idea of getting some 10/4 is the best one to avoid glue lines altogether.

Sam Maloof uses Titebond II for maple because it is lighter, and Titebond III for walnut and darker woods.

Padauk is a light wood - or maybe I should say a very bright wood, but will settle down to a rich dark brown after finishing and the effect of light and time.

I took these pictures of the headrest in the middle of the shaping stages. The sanded parts are 80 grit. I put a Padauk jointer plane behind it because it was just as bright orange when I started. The plane is finished with Danish Oil and Wipe-on Poly, and has darkened for a year or so. I made it with a lamination process, so you can find glue marks 1/4" in from each side - visible but not distracting. That is what I am hoping for in the headrest - visible glue marks but not attention-getting.

[Brian Kent]

And more pictures to show where the glue line is visible and where it is disguised. This is the bottom of the headrest, obviously.

The close-up is a curve on the plane where the glue lines are barely visible 1/4" from each side.

[Brian Kent]

There is a way to stretch a board - very similar to what you did.

If you resaw a board along a slightly diagonal line, then offset slightly before gluing, you will in fact have have a longer and thinner board.

Hard to say if it's worth the effort of course

That's excellent! Thanks.

[Brian Kent]

I sanded through the middle front and found an air bubble. This would not have happened if I had changed the position of the first cut. I wanted the cut to be hidden on the sides, but caused a new problem in the process.

Next time I will make the 1st cut close to the front, so that when I move that piece to the back the remaining thicker piece will not sand through from the front.