OldTools Archive
Recent | Bios | FAQ |
264784 | "Joseph Sullivan" <joe@j...> | 2018‑01‑22 | Crotch wood construction |
John: That crotch panel cabinet is lovely, as your work always is. As you have obviously worked with walnut crotch, maybe you can guide me. I have about 8 sizeable book-matched panels (four pair), plus some more un-re-sawn slabs of crotch in the wood shed. The panels range from 2 to 3 feet long, and from 1/8 to 3/8 in thickness. You may recall that a week or so ago I was asking about how crotch grain, wild as it is, expands and contracts. I am still pondering that. Meanwhile, though, I have these panels and slabs. Seems to me that 1/8 crotch is not inherently all that strong. Do you think that at 1/8 I can treat it as veneer and hard-glue it to a substrate? I am under the impression that some old sawn veneer (as opposed to sliced) was about that thick if not more so. How about the 3/8? If so, how would you or any galoot reading this orient the grain of the substrate? Of course, with 3/8, I could certainly do as you have done and mount the panels in frames. It is just that A) I worry about the strength of the 1/8 if struck or shoved (grandchildren don't you know); and B) I have a concept for a clock door panel in which the book matched panels are butted at the bottom -- the wide part of the pattern -- and tapered each way up and down vertically. That would not be as effective a design if there were a frame bar in between. I have two half-ellipses of crotch wood with heavy figure that I intend to make into t coffee table top by butting the two, joining underneath with butterfly keys, and then cutting an actual elliptical shape. In that case, the mechanical joints would be the butterfly keys, and the understructure would give solid support. However, those slabs are now planed to full-dimensional 4/4. They have the heft to take the butterfly keys and to support their own weight. Obviously a different approach is required for 1/8 or even 3/8 stock. Any thoughts? Joe Joseph Sullivan |
|||
264786 | William Ghio <bghio@m...> | 2018‑01‑23 | Re: Crotch wood construction |
> On Jan 22, 2018, at 5:38 PM, Joseph Sullivan |
|||
264788 | "Joseph Sullivan" <joe@j...> | 2018‑01‑23 | Re: Crotch wood construction |
SNIP: I have worked with some Sycamore burl. It was cut on a bandsaw mill and then run thru a wide belt sander till it was flat and 5/16” thick. SNIP This is burl and the grain runs every which way. About 50% of what you see in the pics is end grain. Very brittle stuff. For the tables I glued it to 3/8” plywood, then planed it down to about 3/16” thickness of burl, i.e., a thick veneer. Almost three years and the tops have held up well. END SMIP Very interesting. Beautiful stuff, too. I was considering using ply as well. At 3/16ths, it is very close to my +- 1/8 stock. What glue did you use? I have heard people who swear that veneers need special glue, but as I have never worked with it, I am in the dark. My inclination would have been to use Tightbond II but the last thing I want to do is mess up a painstakingly built piece by using the wrong glue. Joe |
|||
264789 | Don Schwartz <dks@t...> | 2018‑01‑23 | Re: Crotch wood construction |
On 2018-01-22 8:48 PM, Joseph Sullivan wrote: > Very interesting. Beautiful stuff, too. I was considering using ply as well. At 3/16ths, it is very close to my +- 1/8 stock. What glue did you use? I have heard people who swear that veneers need special glue, but as I have never worked with it, I am in the dark. My inclination would have been to use Tightbond II but the last thing I want to do is mess up a painstakingly built piece by using the wrong glue. > > Joe The traditional adhesive is a form of hide glue. with low Bloom strength. See Lee Valley for a bit of info. It is used where great strength isn't needed. Because it it is relatively slow to gel, it gives you time to position the veneer. The great advantage of hide glue is that it can readily be softened with heat should things go south, and you need to lift the veneer for a second try. And you don't need to scrape it off should that happen! It will stick to itself. I wold not use Titebond. FWIW Don -- "You can tell a man that boozes by the company he chooses" The Famous Pig Song, Clarke Van Ness The harder they come, the bigger they fall." Ry Cooder |
|||
Recent | Bios | FAQ |