Brian Dormer
12-22-2007, 10:14 PM
I just finished milling stock to make trestles for a workbench I'm building. The stretchers will be held to the trestle legs with Veritas Bench Bolts.
Without making the story too long, the lumber came from a workbench I inherited from my uncle - so it has great sentimental value, besides being 50 year old fir (very dense, straight, tight grain - way better than the stuff BORG carries today). I had to glue the 2-by stock up to get pieces thick enough for building trestles. The plans I'm (loosely) following specify 2 1/2 square.
I discovered during my milling operations that I could get my rails to 2 1/2 inches square (good 'nuff). On the legs - I was able to get 2 1/2 x 3 (even better) I confirmed that all the stock is milled within the tolerance of my best digital calipers (.01 inch) :cool: - I *WAS* so pleased with myself....
Then I discovered my (possible) goof - The 3 inch dimension on the leg needs to be in line with the trestle rails (since the rails are only 2 1/2 inches wide). BUT that puts the glue line of the leg IN LINE with where I have to drill the hole for the bench bolt that will connect the stretchers. :eek:
As it stands, the center line of the bench bolt will go right thru the glue-line. What I'm worried about is the force of the bench bolt causing the glue line to split. I had planned to drill perpendicular to the glue-line, so the bench bolt would be forcing the glue joint together.
Should I be worried about splitting that glue line or not? :confused: (Is this a case of - "If you have to ask the question - you already know the answer")
FYI - the glue ups were jointed flat, glued with a fresh bottle of Titebond II and left clamped for a minimum of 24 hours. Both mating surfaces were glued - glue was spread with a roller to ensure complete, even coverage.
IF the consensus is that the leg could split - I'll have to shave off 1/2 inch (which I'll hate to waste) to make the legs 2.5 square (just like the rails). On the bright side, that's the last thing I was cutting on my TS - so I'm set up to rip to 2 1/2 inches if I need to - and everything will match up perfectly (and the trestle will still be plenty strong). I put a big "DO NOT CHANGE SETUP" sign on the TS to remind me not to change anything just yet.
Without making the story too long, the lumber came from a workbench I inherited from my uncle - so it has great sentimental value, besides being 50 year old fir (very dense, straight, tight grain - way better than the stuff BORG carries today). I had to glue the 2-by stock up to get pieces thick enough for building trestles. The plans I'm (loosely) following specify 2 1/2 square.
I discovered during my milling operations that I could get my rails to 2 1/2 inches square (good 'nuff). On the legs - I was able to get 2 1/2 x 3 (even better) I confirmed that all the stock is milled within the tolerance of my best digital calipers (.01 inch) :cool: - I *WAS* so pleased with myself....
Then I discovered my (possible) goof - The 3 inch dimension on the leg needs to be in line with the trestle rails (since the rails are only 2 1/2 inches wide). BUT that puts the glue line of the leg IN LINE with where I have to drill the hole for the bench bolt that will connect the stretchers. :eek:
As it stands, the center line of the bench bolt will go right thru the glue-line. What I'm worried about is the force of the bench bolt causing the glue line to split. I had planned to drill perpendicular to the glue-line, so the bench bolt would be forcing the glue joint together.
Should I be worried about splitting that glue line or not? :confused: (Is this a case of - "If you have to ask the question - you already know the answer")
FYI - the glue ups were jointed flat, glued with a fresh bottle of Titebond II and left clamped for a minimum of 24 hours. Both mating surfaces were glued - glue was spread with a roller to ensure complete, even coverage.
IF the consensus is that the leg could split - I'll have to shave off 1/2 inch (which I'll hate to waste) to make the legs 2.5 square (just like the rails). On the bright side, that's the last thing I was cutting on my TS - so I'm set up to rip to 2 1/2 inches if I need to - and everything will match up perfectly (and the trestle will still be plenty strong). I put a big "DO NOT CHANGE SETUP" sign on the TS to remind me not to change anything just yet.