Order of operations for tabletop glue up?

[Tony Wilkins]

Have the boards for my new dining table roughed out S4S. I left them each (there’s 6) as long as I could to assure the best grain match. I have them laid out in order now…
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They’re all oversized by at least 4 inches (and some by three feet probably)

HERE’S MY QUESTION: Should I cut them to rough length next or should I leave them at their current length and joint them to their neighbor?

[Robert L Stewart]

Cut them to rough length then joint is what I would do. It is safer for those times when biscuits are used.

[Greg Funk]

I would cut them to table length plus a little. I don't see any advantage to milling longer boards. If your machines are setup properly the edges should be flat and square so no need to joint edges together.

[Tony Wilkins]

I would cut them to table length plus a little. I don't see any advantage to milling longer boards. If your machines are setup properly the edges should be flat and square so no need to joint edges together.
Especially since my arm is the machine.

[Greg Funk]

Especially since my arm is the machine.Sorry - I was looking at 'New Posts' and got lost :)

[Ben Ellenberger]

I like a couple inches over length, so I wouldn’t bother cutting the ones that are 4” over any shorter, yet I’d rough cut the longer ones.

I prefer to have enough extra length to be able to saw the edge square once everything is glued up, rather than try to match everything exactly and clean up the end with a plane.

[Mel Fulks]

Lay them out with most pleasing look ,without any trimming. That gives you some room to slide them a bit to make one board blend
with another. Then you can do rough trimming of all ends ,trying to have no cracks and checks. Number them, and pencil in the number
placement order on end of each board. Get rid of all bark edges and sapwood .

[Charles Guest]

Have the boards for my new dining table roughed out S4S. I left them each (there’s 6) as long as I could to assure the best grain match. I have them laid out in order now…
500206
500207
They’re all oversized by at least 4 inches (and some by three feet probably)

HERE’S MY QUESTION: Should I cut them to rough length next or should I leave them at their current length and joint them to their neighbor?

Should have skim planed only for color/grain match and then do the glue-up at full thickness then four-square and bring to final thickness as if it were one, huge board. It's crucial to get the side that registers to the undercarriage flat, or you'll pull the undercarriage into twist -- fatal if the table is to have drawers.

Where you are now -- cut to rough length leaving plenty to trim off each end, joint and glue. Do not glue twist into the unit.

[Tony Wilkins]

Should have skim planed only for color/grain match and then do the glue-up at full thickness then four-square and bring to final thickness as if it were one, huge board. It's crucial to get the side that registers to the undercarriage flat, or you'll pull the undercarriage into twist -- fatal if the table is to have drawers.

Where you are now -- cut to rough length leaving plenty to trim off each end, joint and glue. Do not glue twist into the unit.

It must look more prepped than what it is. It is just skim planed for minimal flatness and grain.

[Mark Rainey]

trying to have no cracks and checks.
Good advice Mel. Last table top I did not trim the ends enough and after glue up I spotted an end grain crack. Had to cut off almost 2 inches of entire table.

[Cameron Wood]

I would surface the boards more, taking material from both sides, then let them settle for a couple of weeks.

If they are pretty flat, leave long. Otherwise, trim to oversize length, being sure to trim all ends and inspect for cracks- keep trimming ends until there are no cracks/checks.

After settling, joint and glue.

If the wood came from different or unknown moisture conditions, repeat the milling/settling steps leaving longer times- a year or more if it's not really dry.

Only bother with these steps if you want the table to be flat and stable...

I have a buddy who made a nice walnut dining table, but it makes you just a little seasick.

[Tony Wilkins]

I would surface the boards more, taking material from both sides, then let them settle for a couple of weeks.

If they are pretty flat, leave long. Otherwise, trim to oversize length, being sure to trim all ends and inspect for cracks- keep trimming ends until there are no cracks/checks.

After settling, joint and glue.

If the wood came from different or unknown moisture conditions, repeat the milling/settling steps leaving longer times- a year or more if it's not really dry.

Only bother with these steps if you want the table to be flat and stable...

I have a buddy who made a nice walnut dining table, but it makes you just a little seasick.

T(e wood has been in my shop for over a year and the boards were skimmed between two and five months ago. I’ll do my best on the cracks. I cut off well past any cracks/checks when I did the length.

[Rafael Herrera]

Breadboards would protect the end grain sides from absorbing moisture, cover imperfections and may be more attractive than the sight of end grain.

[Cameron Wood]

T(e wood has been in my shop for over a year and the boards were skimmed between two and five months ago. I’ll do my best on the cracks. I cut off well past any cracks/checks when I did the length.

Sounds like you're off to a good start!

Are you planning to hand plane the whole thing? Makes my arms tired thinking of it.

[Mark Rainey]

Should have skim planed only for color/grain match and then do the glue-up at full thickness then four-square and bring to final thickness as if it were one, huge board. It's crucial to get the side that registers to the undercarriage flat, or you'll pull the undercarriage into twist -- fatal if the table is to have drawers.

Where you are now -- cut to rough length leaving plenty to trim off each end, joint and glue. Do not glue twist into the unit.

Charles, are you recommending he should just hand plane the edges square and glue all the boards up, THEN flatten the top and thickness the bottom?

[David Carroll]

I always plane one face of each board so I can remove any cup or twist, see grain patterns, and get a sense of grain direction, if it's unclear. I'm not familiar with the term 'skim planing,' but it fits. Not a finish planing by any stretch, just serviceably flat. Then I trim to length, cutting away knots and checks if possible, and leaving an inch or two oversized in length.

Shoot the edges at 90-degrees to this face, and glue up taking pains to keep the planed side flat and in-line (Co-planar). These days I use match planes for this, referencing against the planed face, (unless I'm making a fielded or raised panel, where the T&G might show, or on a fancy table-top where the edges would be exposed). Then glue-up.

I usually designate the already planed side as the bottom of the panel (on a table or shelf) or the inside (box or cabinet), so keep this in mind when laying out. Then make a square cut at each end, and plane straight, leave it a bit oversized still. Then you can mark all around for thickness and plane to final thickness.

Make sure to check for wind.

DC

[Warren Mickley]

In hand work we usually don't plane the faces of the boards before gluing them up. It is a lot of extra work having to flatten before guing and then having to flatten the whole panel after gluing up. And planing individual boards removes material that you might later wish you had back.

We make the edge flat and roughly square to the face and we use winding sticks on the edge to insure that the edge is not in wind. Then with one board still in the vise, lay the other board that also has a flat edge on top and see how they match up, checking for rocking and light , and laying a straight edge across the two boards at various points.

[Tony Wilkins]

Breadboards would protect the end grain sides from absorbing moisture, cover imperfections and may be more attractive than the sight of end grain.

I’m about 80% or more leaning towards bread boards. I have a board that I didn’t use for the top because it had a pronounced crook along the length. I think it would be ok to use cut down to the width of the table (about 35”).

[Tony Wilkins]

Sounds like you're off to a good start!

Are you planning to hand plane the whole thing? Makes my arms tired thinking of it.
yeah, I don’t own any power tools other than the band saw that I’ve never finished putting together. That’s why it’s taking me so long to get together. I’m hoping to finish by Thanksgiving.

[Tony Wilkins]

I planed the heart faces just enough to remove cup to be able to match plane the boards together. I followed this with squaring and straightening one edge. Then a tiny bit of working the middles of the bark side and the opposite edge. I cut off checks before getting the plane out. The plan now is to cut them down in length to the length of the shortest board. Then I’ll match plane pairs of the boards.

[Rafael Herrera]

Mark the grain orientation too. If you match them but with opposite grain direction, you may have tearout to contend with when planing the joints.

[Tony Wilkins]

Mark the grain orientation too. If you match them but with opposite grain direction, you may have tearout to contend with when planing the joints.

have arrows with my best guess on them so far but hope is to run them all in same direction n

[Rafael Herrera]

One of my projects is the construction of mitered rail and stile framed table tops. Where the panel is level with the frame, not the raised style. It's a more sophisticated construction and the panel, since it is floating within the frame, is allowed to expand and contract.

The only concern I have is that if the contraction is excessive, there will be a gap wide enough to get debris inside.

http://www.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/Joinery/ChineseJoinery/ChineseJoinery1.html

In this video, Andrew shows a panel constructed along similar concepts, but at a higher level of complexity. https://youtu.be/aD6qdJNU7GE?t=622

Ain't it cool?