Help! Bigger Projects, Bigger Glue-up Headaches

[Ron Corselli]

Finding a place to glue things square and flat is becoming a problem. Doing more very large frames, carcasses, tables, etc. Please, some tips on how you approach these things without building a platform the size of a two car garage.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I've never had to do a large of a glue up as you're talking about yet but I did have to rig up a table that is perfectly flat and level so I could build my torsion box table on. I used a set of saw horses and jointed (2) 2x4 to get them perfectly flat and level. I stuck the 2x4 in the slots of my saw horses and then used shims to level the whole thing. I'm sure you could do something of the short for your glue up jobs. Once done, just pull the 2x4 off and fold up your saw horses and your done!

[Jamie Buxton]

So if you build a project the size of a two car garage, how do you move it to wherever it is going? How do you get it through doors?

Usually the answer is to build the project as modules that are small enough to move to wherever they is going. Conveniently, that makes each module small enough to hump around the shop while you're building it. Perhaps your assembly platform only needs to be as big as something you can move by yourself -- like 4'x7'. You can make that as a relatively simple torsion box. It can be darn stiff if it is only 6-8" thick, so you can stand it on end to store it while you don't need it.

[Gary Breckenridge]

I often cover my table saw table with wax paper. Its flat and about 2 x 3 feet. For larger projects I can put 2 straight 2x4s on top of the table saw and glue up a storm. For even larger jobs I put several 2x4s on the basement floor.

[Jeffrey Martel]

Make some clamping squares. Then you can clamp stuff up while it's laying on it's side on a relatively level spot and come out square.

[Ron Corselli]

My current project is 4x10 feet faceframe for a cabinet. Clamping squares-I will look into that. Some of the pipe type clamps, while long enough, flex too much.

[Jamie Buxton]

My current project is 4x10 feet faceframe for a cabinet. Clamping squares-I will look into that. Some of the pipe type clamps, while long enough, flex too much.

Pipe clamps do bend. But they still accomplish the purpose -- squeezing stuff together at the ends. The clamping surfaces pivot to conform to the workpieces.

And, actually, you don't need a lot of force to glue up a face frame. You only need enough force to pull the parts together firmly. Going beyond that is not necessary.

A face frame is really a pretty floppy thing, even glued-up perfectly. It is good to get the corners at ninety degrees, but the thing is going to be held flat by the cabinets you fasten it to.