Plano glue press

[Dave Novak]

I do a lot of glue-ups, and my next project is no exception. I always struggle getting the heights right. I've tried every trick in the book, and still end up with a significant (from a time spent sanding standpoint) ridge here and there. Has anyone used the Plano glue press? it looks to be just what the doctor ordered, but I have to assume more people would mention it if it worked as advertised.

http://www.advmachinery.com/default.asp?pg=plano

It's a pretty expensive purchase without a little feedback. Any thoughts?

[frank shic]

it's not going to fix those ridges that you get unless you use a biscuit, a dowel or a spline to align beforehand. i was hoping that it would solve all my glue-ups but it's easier to just use the besseys to clamp two pieces together, align them, squeeze, unclamp, the repeat the process for the next board.

[Ron Dunn]

Dave, have you tried dowels?

I love dowels, primarily to solve this very problem. I used to spend hours creating panels of random thickness because of the amount of planing (and poor planing technique) needed to get rid of the ridges.

Any of the following three products are great panel-aligning jigs:

Dowelmax (www.dowelmax.com (http://www.dowelmax.com))
Veritas Dowelling Jig (http://www.veritastools.com/Products/Page.aspx?p=166)
Ozzie Jig (http://www.ozziejigs.com.au/)

I own each of these jigs. Any one of them will solve your problem in stock thicker than 12mm (all) or 10mm (Veritas, Ozzie).

The only reason I own all these jigs is because I'm a bit of a collector, always looking for the next/best dowelling jig. That said, if I'd bought the Dowelmax first, I'd probably have had no need to buy the others ... great product.

[Dave Novak]

Thanks for the suggestion Ron. I have a biscuit jointer and used it for years with much success. I've been trying to go without biscuits lately primarily because I've read so frequently in these forums that their really not necessary for strength and there are other equally effective ways to keep the layout flat. I just haven't been as successful without the biscuits as I was with them. Do you think the dowlmax is as quick as biscuits?

It's shame the Plano glue press isn't as effective as they claim. It's a great idea, on paper.

[frank shic]

It's shame the Plano glue press isn't as effective as they claim. It's a great idea, on paper.

too true!

biscuits will work for alignment and you'll be able to plunge it a lot more quickly than having to clamp the board on its side and then move the dowelmax jig up and down the board.

[Steve Milito]

Does it keep the panels from bowing?

[Frank Martin]

I know it costs a lot more, but using the Festool Domino improves alignment significantly over using biscuits with lower tolerances. I used to use Porter Cable biscuits, but the panels were not aligned as well as they could have been. I suspect using a higher quality biscuit joiner and biscuits might yield better results.

Also, very recently I started using a belt sander (4"x24") with a sanding frame to level out the panels after glue up. It is actually very fast and reliable. The only problem I have with this method is even when hooked up to a vacuum, the dust collection is not as good as say using a Festool Rotex. It is far faster than Rotex though, which is why I prefer to use the belt sander.

[Tom Cowie]

You guys should try to work with something other than wood :D:D

The Plano press is not going to join your boards to the nearest .0001 but it's a darn site better than using the old bar clamps. Faster loading and applies pressure from all four sides.

I won't sell my Bessey's or Jet bar clamps but I don't use them for panels anymore.

Tom

[J.R. Rutter]

I have a bunch of Plano clamps in my production shop. They require some wall space and are not engineered to flatten glue ups by themselves. But they do work well. I prefer them to tripping over bar clamps. We recently upgraded our panel clamping system, so I may have some surplus in a month or so...

[glenn bradley]

What a coincidence. I just used these for the first time tonight to glue up a proto-type panel for a nightstand idea I'm playing with. They are easier than doing it without but, they do not guarantee a flat panel. My rails are oak but just through the physics involved this type of system will not flatten errant boards no matter what the rails are made of. They do work well although I am not yet sold on the idea that they save any time.

[Mike Wilkins]

Fine Woodworking magazine has had one or more articles within the past year dealing with this very subject. I am at work now so I can't tell you which issue it is, but according to this article, you can get good gluing results using everyday clamps and cauls. The cauls help pull all the boards in alignment to make a flatter surface; this is the same principle of the Plano clamp system.
I have seen these clamps in a catalog, and the idea looks sound, but at a premium price.

[John Karas]

I do a lot of glue-ups, and my next project is no exception. I always struggle getting the heights right. I've tried every trick in the book, and still end up with a significant (from a time spent sanding standpoint) ridge here and there. Has anyone used the Plano glue press? it looks to be just what the doctor ordered, but I have to assume more people would mention it if it worked as advertised.

http://www.advmachinery.com/default.asp?pg=plano

It's a pretty expensive purchase without a little feedback. Any thoughts?


Hi Dave

I have 4 Frontline clamps & i got not problems to keep the boards align no metter how big or thick the panel is i never got any problems & every time best flat panels & stroger joints you not need biscuits or dowells with this system . with very minimum sanding after the Frontline Clamps is by far one of the worlds best clamping system works very wel for me & never use anything else no matter .how cheep or expensive are.

Check it out

www.frontlineengineering.com.au (http://www.frontlineengineering.com.au)

[John Karas]

I have a bunch of Plano clamps in my production shop. They require some wall space and are not engineered to flatten glue ups by themselves. But they do work well. I prefer them to tripping over bar clamps. We recently upgraded our panel clamping system, so I may have some surplus in a month or so...



Hi have you ever use Frontline Clamps? i do have four & i never look back is by far one of the worlds best clamping systems.

Is the only system in the world that has a real down pressure first & than on the same time brings the boards together. Makes the panel very flat & stroger joints with very minimum sanding after.

Check it out for your self there is not comparison with anything else.

www.frontlineengineering.com.au (http://www.frontlineengineering.com.au)

[J.R. Rutter]

Well, I don't know if it is better than the system I went with!

http://www.rosenquistinc.com/electroglue.html

[Ron Dunn]

*lol* ... going from the sublime to the ridiculous.

If Dave thought Plano was expensive, he'll hiccough when he sees the Frontline price, and he'll have a stroke over the Rosenquist :)

[John Karas]

What a coincidence. I just used these for the first time tonight to glue up a proto-type panel for a nightstand idea I'm playing with. They are easier than doing it without but, they do not guarantee a flat panel. My rails are oak but just through the physics involved this type of system will not flatten errant boards no matter what the rails are made of. They do work well although I am not yet sold on the idea that they save any time.


Hi Glenn

Yes all this simillar systems including the plano & others they not have a real down pressure to flatted the boards all they do keeps the boards in line not to moove or bowed any more. But the FRONTLINE CLAMPS they do have a real down pressure that flatten the boards first with a real down pressure & than brings the boards together afte they have been flatten
first there is not comparison with any other similar systems.

Check it out
www.frontlineengineering.com.au (http://www.frontlineengineering.com.au)

[frank shic]

john, how much is a clamp? i'm thinking of craigslisting my plano press.

[Peter Quinn]

Never used any of these products, just cant afford them. Saw the plano clamps in the Hammer Catalogue, $200/clamp? Am I reading that correctly?ouch. I have worked in a production millwork shop fabricating panels for doors, stair treads, table tops and countertops. With good jointing technique, bowed clamping cauls you make yourself and jorgenson I-beams or straight pipe clamps spaced over/under every 6-8 inches you can achieve flat panels without specialized equipment.

The plano clamps look handy for production if they fit your budget and you have a spare wall, but don't feel compeled to purchase them as the only option. I have made bowed cauls from palette material and carraige bolts tightned with an impact wrench to achieve panels flat enough to finish with a card scraper. As a woodworker I generally prefer a solution that involves wood to aluminum.

[Jody Malinich]

I have a set of the planos. Love them, wish I had more of them. If you have good stock and keep the glue cleaned off of the clamps you can get nice joint, very little sanding. Now if you've got some stock that is not so straight you can still get a decent joint via a rubber mallet while working from one clamp to the next. I've gotten into the habit of leaving my stock for panels a little thick, a 1/16 does me good, sometimes an 1/8 depending on how dry and straight the boards are. Then I run them thru the drum sander to final thickness. I always seem to get too much lumber on hand than I can use in a day:D this tends to let the lumber acclimate to whatever it is where it's stored then when brought into the dry air of the shop, "poof" I gotta crooked, bowed board that just happens to be curly. Just my luck!

[Richard McComas]

Check out this video and see what you think. I saw a live demo and it appeared to work as advertised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d4ondRBfqs

[John Karas]

john, how much is a clamp? i'm thinking of craigslisting my plano press.


Hi Frank

In regards to the cost of the Frontline Clamps i paid $360-00AUD +GST each to do up to 48" panel in Australia i do not know if they are available in the USA. Frank something i havent regret when you use them then you realize how good they are is one of investment plus you need lot less of this clamps to do a panel then the sash clamps.for example to do 8'X4' Solid top you need only four clamps.If you got a use for them you never look back.

[John Karas]

I have a set of the planos. Love them, wish I had more of them. If you have good stock and keep the glue cleaned off of the clamps you can get nice joint, very little sanding. Now if you've got some stock that is not so straight you can still get a decent joint via a rubber mallet while working from one clamp to the next. I've gotten into the habit of leaving my stock for panels a little thick, a 1/16 does me good, sometimes an 1/8 depending on how dry and straight the boards are. Then I run them thru the drum sander to final thickness. I always seem to get too much lumber on hand than I can use in a day:D this tends to let the lumber acclimate to whatever it is where it's stored then when brought into the dry air of the shop, "poof" I gotta crooked, bowed board that just happens to be curly. Just my luck!


Have you ever use Frontline panel clamps? you will get best flat & stronger joints every time without the use of the mallet.The clamp does it all.

[Ron Dunn]

John, do you USE them or SELL them?

Nothing wrong with being an enthusiastic user, but sometimes you sound more like a salesman than a customer.

[Walt Nicholson]

Google "Veritas Panel Clamp" and take a look at their set-up. I have used these for about 6 months (made the bars out of white oak) and they work better for me than clamps. They look very similar to the Frontline but are only 40 bucks plus the wood and you can make them as long or short as you want :D. They won't make a bad glue-up great but do a good job of keeping most things flat and tight. Then you can show your LOML all the money you saved to spend on other tools! Somehow that did not work for me but it was a good thought at the time. :rolleyes: I have no affiliation with Veritas, just like these clamps.

[Jody Malinich]

Might want to have the guy who runs that web site fix the "sash cramps". Don't know what they are and sure don't want to get any:D

Those clamps use the same principle as the planos. I use the mallet everytime I glue something up, habit I guess. I do get some wood that has a twist in it, couple hits on the clamp with the mallet and I'm good. Plus it relieves all that tension from cutting that curly board 1" short 20 minutes ago.:eek:
I have the 49" Planos so I have lots of capacity, I can do 5" thick 49" wide and about 9' long (all the space I had when I installed them under the exhaust for the boiler.

[Jeff A. Smith]

John, do you USE them or SELL them?

Nothing wrong with being an enthusiastic user, but sometimes you sound more like a salesman than a customer.

Where in any of this does he sound any different than anyone who's enthusiastic about a product? You think he's a salesman even though he clearly says he doesn't know whether the products are available in the US? Clearly, his posting is not an advertisement to sell.

[Ron Dunn]

Jody, "sash cramp" is the British (thus Australian, NZ, etc.) term for a long bar clamp. The bar is typically a t-bar, drilled at intervals to peg a sliding stop in place. The cramp is then activated by turning the screw at the other end. Sash cramps are typically used when flooring, or when gluing up large panels.

Jeff, I'm not so sure about John Karas' relationship with Frontline Engineering. I've seen him post the same words, links, etc., a few times now. There's nothing wrong with representing a product in a forum, but the quality of advice is polluted when that representation is not declared.

Actually, I think the Frontline products look like great stuff, just not well suited to the home/hobby user.

[Jody Malinich]

OH.....that explains it. Kinda like a pipe clamp but with more moving parts.

[Don Morris]

Sounds like nodbody's got a system that's totally perfect. I too have been looking for one. I watched Kelly Mehler glue table tops together with clamps and cauls. So I made up a bunch of 2" X 2" Maple cauls of varying lengths. That didn't cost too much, and the end result sort of looks like the wood version of the metalic likeness of the "expensive" system shown towards the end of this thread. The nice part is that when I get through I get to take out a couple woodworking tools and finish it off. You could use a belt sander, scraper, hand plane or whatever melts your butter. No matter how I try, the glue seems to mess around with my dry run glue-ups, and always calls for some finish (hand) work in the end. Wood does that you know.

[John Karas]

Sounds like nodbody's got a system that's totally perfect. I too have been looking for one. I watched Kelly Mehler glue table tops together with clamps and cauls. So I made up a bunch of 2" X 2" Maple cauls of varying lengths. That didn't cost too much, and the end result sort of looks like the wood version of the metalic likeness of the "expensive" system shown towards the end of this thread. The nice part is that when I get through I get to take out a couple woodworking tools and finish it off. You could use a belt sander, scraper, hand plane or whatever melts your butter. No matter how I try, the glue seems to mess around with my dry run glue-ups, and always calls for some finish (hand) work in the end. Wood does that you know.

Hi Don

I'm very sorry to say this but if you are reffering to the Frontiline clamps i have tried many different methods for gluing panels as well but i would like to point here that you can not compare the Frontline clamps with the above. they do work a lot different from any other clamping system. you have to use those clamps to realy know the differences.i do have 4 of them & i only say all this from my past experiences.it may sounds i'm over enthousiastic over the Frontline clamps like the Domino & Kapex saw i'm very sure other feel the same.

[Peter Quinn]

Funny side note, was reading Modern Practical Joinery (text circa 1900 england?) a while back and kept thinking, yea, I'm always a little nervous gluing up windows, all those mullions and muntons, so many chances to screw it up...but cramps? Everybody gets nervous but do you have to have cramps for the glue up to succeed? Maybe yoga would help resolve those sash cramp issues? I should have read the glossary of terms first. Why don't they speak english in Britain?:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Turns out deal was British for Doug Fir! The guy is making benches and fictures out of deal, keeps talking about using a wood called deal, and I'm thinking hey buddy, everybody likes a deal but sometimes you have to pay full price!