Mantle Top Glue Up

[Jeff Weight]

I'm building a mantle top and need to sandwich glue two sheets of 3/4 MDF tonight. They measure 12" x 80" (oversize of course). I want to know if you'd use biscuits or dowels to help align the pieces as they are glued?

Thanks for the help.

Jeff

[Dan Gill]

I would use biscuits along one edge. Mark that edge, so you can square the other one and not risk cutting through the biscuit slots. That's embarrassing. DAMHIKT.

[Ron Brese]

If this top is to be fastened to a lower wall section of the mantle then I would just dry clamp them together and drill and and install 2 screws for alignment in a place that will be concealed at final assembly. At glue up you can just align the edges and install the two screws and then place your clamps around the perimeter, the screws should hold everything in alignment. You could even remove the screws once the glue is set.

Ron