How to glue up a 48" wide workbench top?

[Rob Will]

I would like to use dry yellow pine 2x4's (actually a 2x8 ripped in half) to glue up a solid top for a work table. The finished dimensions will be 48" wide x 96" long x 3" thick.

If I can joint and plane half of this top at a time, how should I join the two 24" x 96" sections?

Should I try to run a tie bolt all the way through the 48" wide top? If so, how many bolts should it have?

Merry Christmas to all.

Rob

[Jim Becker]

I would not use the bolt. Just glue the two sections together and try to align them as carefully as you can. Finish leveling with hand planes or a wide-belt... ;) Bolts through the top make wood movment...difficult.

[Jesse Thornton]

I do all my panel glue ups with these now:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=31181&cat=1,41637
I realize it's not an inexpensive solution, and definately not the way to go for once-in-a-blue moon use, but if you do a lot of flat glue ups, these things are a dream. You can make clamping bars to suit panels of any width, and by gosh, they really do work as brilliantly as advertised.
Otherwise, I agree with Jim.
If you have a biscuiter, that can help immensely with alignment. If you have a slot cutting router bit, you could make a spline for the same purpose. Just make sure your edges are good and square. If you don't have either of those, you could make a couple of clamping cauls to sandwich the panels with. If you're using a jointer (and it isn't too awkward to joint those big pieces accurately), compensate for any inaccuracies in the jointer fence's squareness by registering opposite side of the panels against the fence - that is, if you joint one with what will be the top of the table against the fence, joint the other one with the bottom side against the fence - then even if you're a degree off, you'll still end up with a flat panel with a tight joint.
Good luck!

[doug webb]

Merry Christmas to you also Rob... I built my worktable top out of ripped 2x8 yellow pine in may, 2003. No bolts or any other kind of mechanical fastener. I have had no problems at al with mine... 3"x 30"x 8'... good luck with yours. doug

[Rob Will]

Now I have to figure out exactly how to square the ends of this massive glueup. My 7 1/4" circular saw will not cut 3" deep.:confused:

I have a 14" table saw. Perhaps I can allow one end of the work to rest on a rolling table and run the opposite end across the table saw. My floor is very flat and the 4' x 6' table has 8" poly tread casters.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Rob

[Alan Turner]

Rob,
To square up the ends, use a guide bar and a router. Take a # of passes with a pattern bit, eventually going as deep as you can go, remove the guide bar, and keep going down, with the guide bearing against the now cut edge. Then, work from the other side with a flush trimming bit, riding against the already cut surface. This operation required big bits, but they are available. First, make a cut with a long blade in a jig saw, or with a hand saw. You should be able to get it within 1/8" for the rough cut, making the routing a lot easier and faster.

[lou sansone]

I would not use tie bolts for the same reason that jim suggested. the top will be plenty strong. to cut the ends square you could rent a larger timber framing saw, makita makes a 16" hand held skill saw that would do it and many rental yards have them. it would problaby cost 20 bucks and you would be done.

best wishes
lou

[Rob Will]

Rob,
To square up the ends, use a guide bar and a router. Take a # of passes with a pattern bit, eventually going as deep as you can go, remove the guide bar, and keep going down, with the guide bearing against the now cut edge. Then, work from the other side with a flush trimming bit, riding against the already cut surface. This operation required big bits, but they are available. First, make a cut with a long blade in a jig saw, or with a hand saw. You should be able to get it within 1/8" for the rough cut, making the routing a lot easier and faster.

That makes sense, I'll cut from both sides using a guide and my 7 1/4" circular saw. Then, using the same guide, use the router to clean it up. I'll probably have to do something to keep the yellow pine from splintering as the saw goes by (?)

[James E Clark]

I built my workbench 15 or so years ago,using the same materials that your talking about only I splined all jointes in the top and then put all thread bolts or tie bolts all the way through the top. I'm glad that I did becouse the whole top shrank (dried more than it was)in size by about "1/8 thats when I was happy that I put the splines and bolts in. My bench gets hard use everyday,thats not saying that it's abused but it is saying its definatly used and I've definatly got my time and moneys worth from building it. You don't have to use the tie bolts and splines and if your not going to use it very hard you probably won't have to but in my case I knew I had one shot at building what I thought was an indestructable bench thats why I took the extra steps in building it with the splines and bolts. I only wish I'd used hard wood lumber (ash,oak,maple)instead of southern yellow pine,I have to sand and revarnish the top every year do to dings and dents. Like I said before I didn't mean to disagree with anyone I just thought I let you know of my expeirence building my workbench.
Sincerely
Jim C