Waiting for glue to dry, giving time to quickly post this for those who have not done many tops.
My preferences:
The pictures illustrate each point.
1.) I prefer narrow rather than wide boards, as they provide opportunity to get rid of pre and post warping with climate changes. These were around 4 1/4” wide. The top is 60” x 40”
2.) Boards need to be milled perfectly flat, the reason I always buy lumber rough and then face joint, plane and rip as well as edge joint giving perfectly flat and square boards right before glue up.
3.) I use nothing for alignment and use Titebond 3 as it gives a little more time to align my joints by hand. Without (2) above this could get real difficult, but with the flat and square lumber it is real easy. Four pipe clamps are enough and just firm tightening, no forcing things together.
4.) The one picture shows the tree growth ring orientation which will help keep the top flat with seasonal wood movement.
5.) With this project my board alignment was close enough to need a little bit of card scraper clean-up only.
My preferences:
The pictures illustrate each point.
1.) I prefer narrow rather than wide boards, as they provide opportunity to get rid of pre and post warping with climate changes. These were around 4 1/4” wide. The top is 60” x 40”
2.) Boards need to be milled perfectly flat, the reason I always buy lumber rough and then face joint, plane and rip as well as edge joint giving perfectly flat and square boards right before glue up.
3.) I use nothing for alignment and use Titebond 3 as it gives a little more time to align my joints by hand. Without (2) above this could get real difficult, but with the flat and square lumber it is real easy. Four pipe clamps are enough and just firm tightening, no forcing things together.
4.) The one picture shows the tree growth ring orientation which will help keep the top flat with seasonal wood movement.
5.) With this project my board alignment was close enough to need a little bit of card scraper clean-up only.