Squirmy Glueups

[Derek Arita]

Go very, very light, I'm talking count the grains of salt you use. I recently did a small panel glue up and used, what I thought was, a small amount of salt, cuz I really needed there to be no drift in the pieces being glued. As a result, of using the salt, I couldn't get the parts to clamp completely together. Fortunately, I was able to get the pieces apart, scrape off the salt and reclamp. I determined that just a few grains would have worked, rather than the tiny pinch I used.

[andy bessette]

Show us an example of your glue-ups. Virtually all my glue-ups have no fasteners.

[Edwin Santos]

Go very, very light, I'm talking count the grains of salt you use. I recently did a small panel glue up and used, what I thought was, a small amount of salt, cuz I really needed there to be no drift in the pieces being glued. As a result, of using the salt, I couldn't get the parts to clamp completely together. Fortunately, I was able to get the pieces apart, scrape off the salt and reclamp. I determined that just a few grains would have worked, rather than the tiny pinch I used.

You're right. I took a class with a master woodworker once, and he told us to use 8-10 grains of salt, no more than that. The idea is that the salt will create some grit at first and then dissolve in the water content of the glue right about the time it tacks up and the sliding stops. If you use too much salt it won't dissolve and like you found, it will basically become a barrier to a tight joint.

[Ben Zara]

Is that a countertop?

[andy bessette]

Is that a countertop?

In case this was directed to my post, that is a table for a yacht.