Shaker Door Glue-Up Table

[Jim Peck]

I have to make a bunch of Shaker doors for some cabinets at home, but I hate gluing these things up. Too easy (at least for me) to mess up alignment when fitting all the parts together while laying them on pipe clamps.

Got an idea for a glue-up table and wanted to throw it out to the Creek for thoughts. It's one of those things where there's probably something I'm missing. Probably some reason I should chuck this thing out the back door and get the pipe clamps out again.

I started with a 24x48 torsion box I had sitting around (off an old shop cabinet/workbench), so the work area is pretty much dead flat. I drilled 3/4" holes 6" on center, then thoroughly waxed the top so glue won't stick. I fashioned clamps and such ("borrowed" the design from MFT accessories). Below is a photo of the result (apologies--I don't know how to turn it right side up).

Maybe I'll use some cauls across the rails to take care of any lifting that could occur in the joints.

I'll appreciate any thoughts. (Especially why this might be a bad idea!)

Thanks,

Jim
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[Paul F Franklin]

I think it's a great idea, and nicely done. I'd be careful about applying a lot clamp pressure anywhere except inline with the rails. If you apply much pressure across the panel the stiles will bend, assuming the panels are at least a little undersized. That will make it hard to get tight rail/stile joints and, if you're gluing the panels in, the stiles will stay bent.

[Tom Bender]

Agree with Franklin, your clamps are in the wrong spots.

Also you can aid alignment by using a sharpie to make a straight line down the right side with the first one clamped up square. Then a glance will show any mistakes later.

[Dave Mount]

I agree with using full length cauls along the sides to take the clamping pressure, and avoid flexing the stiles. Also, I would extend the caul at the top, and add one on the bottom (rather than the separate blocks), so that the vertical clamping brings the rail flush with the ends of the stiles, but not past (assuming you've cut your stiles to final length before gluing).

Otherwise looks like it would work fine, though you may need quite a selection of cauls of different widths for doors of different widths, unless those are consistent for the doors you have to do.

My $0.02,

Dave

[Rod Sheridan]

I use 2 K body clamps per door.

If your joints are square, the door comes out square..............Regards, Rod.