Best method to join to large/heavy hickory slabs?
- Thread starter kserdar
- Start date
I would install a dozen one inch by four inch dowels.
is the sign going to be double sided? could you install some struts on the back the span between the two pieces?
Yes, it will be double sided and hanging 12' in the air.
I should add, that it will be painted on all surfaces.
Mike's got it right. Make the dowels go at least 2" into each board. Longer dowels will do a better job of supporting the weight of the bottom board. For glue use Titebond III, the waterproof version. Use primer before you paint. I don't know of any sealer--varnish, poly, lacquer, etc. that will stand up to the elements more than a few years. The paint will fade but can be scuffed and touched up easier if there is no topcoat on it.
I found automotive acrylic enamel paint to hold up the best.
I would also be inclined to add a few dowels - maybe 4.
But how many times have we read on this site and in the literature that "today's glues are stronger than the wood"? If that's true, then are dowels needed?
Other than alignment, you're also essentially increasing the surface area between the two pieces and giving more glue surface to fasten the two pieces together as a result.
This is a good idea, even if it approaches a belt and suspenders method. Rather than risk exposing filler/putty to the elements, I would inset them flush, put primer on them, and paint over them. They will be almost invisible when hanging up high. Anyone who does spot them will appreciate the extra craftsmanship in your work.
I reread this chain and looked at the photos more closely. The boards look to be thick enough to use a butterfly in each end. That would really show off your craftsmanship.
BTW what is a wood dutchman?
BTW what is a wood dutchman?
I would rip that hickory into no wider than 4" strips and then glue those pieces up to get you the 30" final width. That is going to be your most stable method. This is how all the commercial western red cedar sign blanks are made. Commercial sign blanks are typically 1-3/4" thick and only use glue without any dowels or biscuits or dominos. Sikkens Cetol and 1 shot paints are what I use for outdoor sign finishes.
I’ve usually thought of a butterfly as something used to prevent wood from cracking/splitting more. Shaped like Matin’s picture.
A Dutchman is a small patch, usually thin, in the wood surface to cover a hole or defect. I don’t believe they’re structural, but more cosmetic and can be different shapes.
Maybe someone else knows the etiology of dutchman and bowtie !
A Dutchman is a small patch, usually thin, in the wood surface to cover a hole or defect. I don’t believe they’re structural, but more cosmetic and can be different shapes.
Maybe someone else knows the etiology of dutchman and bowtie !
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Yea, I was suspecting it might be this. I have always heard them called bowties, sometimes called butterflies. Dutchman is a new term to me. This is an elegant woodworker's solution. I also see the logic in using the multiple boards/glue lam method. If you alternate the curvature of the end grains, that should eliminate any cupping/warping due to the elements. Regarding the finish, I defer to other posters who seem to have direct experience in making outdoor signs that stand up to the weather.
