David Marks panel glue up method.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Anybody ever see how David Marks glues up panels? On his show he just lays them on a flat surface and applies all the clamps on top. He uses bricks on thin panels to keep them flat. When I first saw this I though it was wierd but one other person says he does the same thing. I don't think I've seem him do the over/under clamp technique but my memory may be just having fun with me. :)

[Keith Christopher]

Alan,

I use a similar technique that I learned from my grandfather, I use weights in the centers (large cans of finish) and clamp the ends. I can't tell you how many panels I've seen my grandfather do it this way. It always just seemed the way to do it for me. I think either method works. just a preferance.


Keith

[Michael Ballent]

One thing to keep in mind is that the spot that he does assembly and the glue ups is a torsion box so that he has a known good flat surface to work on. When I do panel glue ups I use Bessey clamps so in effect I am only clamping from one side as well. His method forces the wood down so that he has a flat side by default. If I had space I would build one of the torsion boxes. I think that it would make my life easier...

[Keith Christopher]

One thing to keep in mind is that the spot that he does assembly and the glue ups is a torsion box so that he has a known good flat surface to work on. When I do panel glue ups I use Bessey clamps so in effect I am only clamping from one side as well. His method forces the wood down so that he has a flat side by default. If I had space I would build one of the torsion boxes. I think that it would make my life easier...

Michael I build as small one (I call it my temp table in several posts here) I use it for glueups and assembly. I built it after watching DMarks make his and decided I needed one. I just with I had built it larger.


Keith

[Don Carkhuff]

I remember reading a tip in a wood magazine that suggested ripping a stair handrail in half and using each half between the wood and the face of the bar clamp. The serpentine shape of the 1/2 stair handrail compensates for the clamp jaw not being perpendicular to the wood. Jorgenson clamps are never perpendicular. With this method, clamps under the wood are all that are required. The hand rail I am referring to is kinda like an hourglass with a flat bottom in the lower portion. Hard to describe.
I have never tired this, but I will in the near future and report how well it works.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

One thing to keep in mind is that the spot that he does assembly and the glue ups is a torsion box so that he has a known good flat surface to work on. When I do panel glue ups I use Bessey clamps so in effect I am only clamping from one side as well. His method forces the wood down so that he has a flat side by default. If I had space I would build one of the torsion boxes. I think that it would make my life easier...

Michael,
That's the great part about his technique. As long as he keeps good contact with the torsion box it almost guarantees a flat panel. But sometimes I'm not sure about David. You notice he uses no safety guards or splitter? But then neither does Norm. I haven't figured this one out yet.

[Dan Gill]

But sometimes I'm not sure about David. You notice he uses no safety guards or splitter? But then neither does Norm. I haven't figured this one out yet.

They get in the way of the camera shots. Plus, you'll find lots of long-time woodworkers who don't use them. Some of them still have all their fingers, too.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

:) Yeah, my dad doesn't use them either and he finally got a kick back the other day. Anyway, about the clamping method. I use weights a lot of the time as well. Works great!

[Fred Voorhees]

One thing I don't get - is how he avoids any squeeze out of the glue on the bottom of the glue up from sticking to the tabel below once it's dry.

[Rob Horton]

One thing I don't get - is how he avoids any squeeze out of the glue on the bottom of the glue up from sticking to the tabel below once it's dry.

I have seen him use wax paper, or newspaper sometimes. Also, I believe his tabletop for his torsion box is just MDF. So I would he could just pop the glue off after it had dried.

[Michael Perata]

I have seen and used his torsion box first hand. It is a MDF top and very flat. He keeps the table covered with Kraft paper and also uses wax paper and clear wrap to protect glue outs.

[Matt Meiser]

One thing I don't get - is how he avoids any squeeze out of the glue on the bottom of the glue up from sticking to the tabel below once it's dry.

He usually avoids squeezout altogether, at least compared to what I do!