kmmcrafts Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 I've not done much for gluing up boards in the past to get a larger chunk of wood other than just small cutting boards etc.. for the most part I've always used plywood for portraits. I had to put my Grate Dane / Lab mix down yesterday and was thinking about making a large portrait of him. Rather than cut on the scroll saw I want to try to carve a picture on my CNC.. This will be most likely a late spring or summer project as I got a lot of bookkeeping etc. to do and I have to figure out how to make a design file / pattern for the CNC.. Not being in too many groups for the CNC I'm not sure if there is nice folks that will do designs like there is for our wonderful pattern designers here in the scroll saw village. I'm not one that likes to be that new person on a forum and make my first post be a request either, LOL I've been considering buying the laser attachment for my CNC and I may do just that so that designing a carve file wouldn't need to be done.. just do similar to my engraving of the ornament on a much larger scale.. IF I do buy the laser engraving attachment for the CNC then I would probably just use plywood.. Carving looks better on solid wood is the reason I thought I'd need to do a glue up.. Anyway I was thinking of making this portrait about 2 x 2 foot.. from solid wood {probably either Poplar or Cherry ). Is it best to glue up several 3-5 inch slats or just a couple wide boards together work okay? I'm thinking the slats might work better from being prone to cup / warp ? He was 14 years old and we all knew he wouldn't be with us a lot longer so this year I made all the kids a ornament on my laser, I posted this in the other woodworking section here on the village last fall. But here is a picture of him and the laser engraved ornament I made for the kids. Woodrush, ChelCass, new2woodwrk and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockytime Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 Pretty darn nice! danny and kmmcrafts 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjweb Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 Kevin, sorry to here about your dog, that ornament is beautiful, very well done, RJ kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfold Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 Don't know enough about wood to answer your question, but just to give my heartfelt condolences and to say the ornament is gorgeous. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 So sorry about you dog. I lost my lab a year ago and I still miss him every day. I walked to the lake today, like we used to every day, my heart just sinks missing his company. I like to use narrower pieces. I'm making an end table now. Finished top with be 18 x 24. My stock is wide enough that I could do the 18 in two pieces, no way. I'll probably use 5 or 6 pcs. Ah but then comes the next question should you alter the grain up and down? Certainly many people will tell you that, but I have these wonderful wide boards it would be very nice to match the grain and make it appear to be made from two boards. But most important is to joint the edges so the glue-up is strong. I generally will only glue-up two boards (hey I'm retired) at a time so I can control cupping at the joint with a couple of cauls. Again you have my sympathy for your loss. kmmcrafts, Wizard of Oz and danny 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsteve Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 truly sorry for your loss,kevin. imo, for your glue up you should use quarter sawn for this. much more stable but im not sure how this would look at a glue up. seems the change of grain over the boards could make it look a little strange. BUT, i wonder if you could get sequenced matched boards and accordian them. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomanydogs Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 Sorry Kevin. It’s very hard losing our four legged friends. I love the ornament. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meflick Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 Kevin, can’t help you on he glue up question. However, I did want to say great ornament you did for your kids and offer condolences for the loss of your beloved dog. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankEV Posted January 5, 2021 Report Share Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, kmmcrafts said: ...Anyway I was thinking of making this portrait about 2 x 2 foot.. from solid wood {probably either Poplar or Cherry ).... From my woodshop days making a glued up panel requires a lot of work and equipment. If I was making a 24" wide panel I would use four nom 8" wide boards (yes that is 30") and a min 3/4" thick (or what ever the carving machine requires). The edges need to be jointed or they will NEVER pull together. Yes you flip the boards so the growth rings alternate up down up down. I would use biscuits, but for a csarving panel this might not work well unless they can be place outside the cut area. Then to make the panel appropriate for carving the panel would need to be planned to a uniform "flat" thickness. Hard to find a planner that wide. Of course the panel then needs to be sanded smoth with a wide belt sander. Only after all that you then cut the panel to the final panel size the pattern needs. Way too much work to make the panel yourself. I didn't have the wide sander but I've made table tops this way...lots of sanding work is necessary to get a flat surface.. I would suggest you check out some local custom cabinet maker shops that deal in making solid hardwood cabinetry. They deal in doing this kind of work all the time and they have the wood and equipment. I'm betting you can find one who would be willing to make the panel for you and even do grain matching so the panel would be very uniform. Might be a little coastly but worth the cost to eliminate the hassel of making it yourself for a one-off project. Edited January 5, 2021 by FrankEV kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted January 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 I just wanted to thank everyone for the condolences.. It sure is hard to loose those fur babies.. He sure did give the family a lot of enjoyment and I think we gave just as much back to him since he was a rescue dog and was on his last day at the pound when we took him in.. sure was a trouble maker of dog at first but we worked it all out and gave him lots of love.. in short time he understood what his boundaries were.. though he pushed those boundaries every day throughout all these years to keep us all on our toes.. LOL He had three different homes before we gave him his forever home and he just had a mix of rules he didn't understand. I got him when he was 9 months ( terrible teens maybe LOL ).. He'll be greatly missed for sure.. tomsteve and meflick 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted January 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 1 hour ago, FrankEV said: From my woodshop days making a glued up panel requires a lot of work and equipment. If I was making a 24" wide panel I would use four nom 8" wide boards (yes that is 30") and a min 3/4" thick (or what ever the carving machine requires). The edges need to be jointed or they will NEVER pull together. Yes you flip the boards so the growth rings alternate up down up down. I would use biscuits, but for a csarving panel this might not work well unless they can be place outside the cut area. Then to make the panel appropriate for carving the panel would need to be planned to a uniform "flat" thickness. Hard to find a planner that wide. Of course the panel then needs to be sanded smoth with a wide belt sander. Only after all that you then cut the panel to the final panel size the pattern needs. Way too much work to make the panel yourself. I didn't have the wide sander but I've made table tops this way...lots of sanding work is necessary to get a flat surface.. I would suggest you check out some local custom cabinet maker shops that deal in making solid hardwood cabinetry. They deal in doing this kind of work all the time and they have the wood and equipment. I'm betting you can find one who would be willing to make the panel for you and even do grain matching so the panel would be very uniform. Might be a little coastly but worth the cost to eliminate the hassel of making it yourself for a one-off project. Thank you for the advice and tips.. I have a jointer so that part isn't a problem and I think as far as planning that large of a glue up won't be too huge of a problem as I can surface it with my surface bit on the CNC machine.. It might need some light sanding afterwards but I worked in Autobody repair for some years and have big 12" block sanders etc.. so even if I couldn't surface on the CNC I think I can sand it flat enough just using my body sanding equipment.. That all said, I do like the idea of having it grain matched.. I might look more into having a panel made up.. could be a interesting project... FrankEV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 1st my condolences on the loss of your dog mate. As for the glue up, I'd alternate the grain. The width of the boards is not really big prblem,if they have been seasoned properly. Matching the grain is just a matter laying pieces side by side and picking the best match. If you have a good hand plane #5 etc it is not hard to flatten the boards. As for the glue up it all comes down to the joint. The ideal is to have no gaps hence no requirement for clamps,the next best is to either plane them with a small concave edge thus a clamp in the centre will do the job or convex and use a clamp at either end. PVA is stronger than the timber so it will hold with no reinforcing, however you may liketo use biscuits or dowels as locators. Good luck, have fun mate. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveww1 Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 I'm very sorry for the loss of your pet kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new2woodwrk Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 My condolences regarding your friend - I've had to put down several over the years and it never gets easier! Great memento and shrine to your buddy! kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted January 7, 2021 Report Share Posted January 7, 2021 Sorry for your loose Kevin. I have done my share of cabinet work. Glue-ups with narrow boards are less likely to warp or twist. There is no magic width per board and it is ok to use various widths. Make sure you alternate the end grain one up and one down. Before glues edges all need to be run through a jointer properly. Also wood should run all in the same direction. Most boards will have a rough and smooth direction. Kinda like a scroll saw blade. You want to feed the smooth end into the planner. This will minimize tearout. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneMahler Posted January 8, 2021 Report Share Posted January 8, 2021 Sorry to hear abut your loss. Losing a fur baby hurts really bad and leaves quite a hole in your heart. Gluing up thinner panels can be a challenge if your not careful. Make sure before you start you have all the clamps laid out and handy. I do this a lot as making furniture and larger panels for other work. I have a system that works well for me. Machine the wood to close to its final thickness. When laying the boards out move them around to get the best grain blending look you can. Make sure the sides are flat and parallel to the faces. ( Very Important ) Apply glue to both sides to be joined. When putting them together rub them together, this helps spread the glue more evenly. Start lightly clamping from the center of the panel and work your way to the outside. Repeat until all the clamps a fairly tight and even. Take a couple board with packing tape on one side and put them across the panel's width. Lightly clamp these up, will help keep the boards flat. Do the final tightening on the clamps watching the squeeze out. You want some but not enough tp push most of the glue out. Tamp a damp cloth and clean up as much glue as you can . Let the assembly dry over night before removing the clamps. Clean up the rest of the glue with a cabinet scraper or by sanding. If the panel is to be framed or whatever and needs to thinned just a bit. Cut shallow rabbits around the perimeter to fit. Doing the rabbits gives yo much cleaner edges and joints. I know this is a lot of work, and very well worth the extra effort as the end product is much cleaner in appearance with stronger joints. kmmcrafts and NC Scroller 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted January 8, 2021 Report Share Posted January 8, 2021 One more tip. After getting the clamps tight take a damp towel or washcloth and wipe as much glue squeeze out as possible before it dries. There should be some glue squeeze out. If not you probably do not have enough glue. After the glue dries and you unclamp, scrape any dried blobs of glue you may find. Your sander and planner will thank you for that. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GusGustin Posted January 8, 2021 Report Share Posted January 8, 2021 Kevin .. perhaps ridgback can do something .. it would be worth contacting him, anyway .. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted January 9, 2021 Report Share Posted January 9, 2021 Most glues have a manufacture date and they normally state their products have a self life of between 1-2 years. If you research further you will see a lot of the useful life of glue depends on the conditions that they are stored in. My shop has heat in the winter and ac in the summer so the temps never falls below 55 or above 80. I buy my wood glues in 14oz -16oz sizes because that is about what I use in a 12-24 month period. Sure it is cheaper per ounce to buy in bigger containers but that does not help you if you then throw it out. kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted January 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2021 Store my glue in the house which is always around 70- 75.. and yeah glue does expire.. I don't use enough to buy bulk either.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben2008 Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 (edited) Sorry about your dog. I have lost a few pets through the years and it's always heartbreaking. They become such a large part of your family and then they are gone much too soon. I have not done much glue up either and I'm in the process of doing one myself as we speak. Nice to read what others do and the tips received. As always, good advice on this forum. Edited January 10, 2021 by ben2008 kmmcrafts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadBob Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 I use Titebond II for almost everything. I have a gallon that I have been using out of for more than ten years. I take no special precautions for storage. It is in my garage with a temperature range from 50-90 degrees. I have a gallon because I asked my wife to pick it up a large bottle for me thinking I would get 8 or 16 oz. I didn't know they had gallons in the store. Read this from the Titebond blog. Shelf life is for liability purposes. ben2008 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 So Sorry for your loss! What a magnificent animal. An interesting mix. I glue up boards all the time. If they are thick ,3/4, I will biscuit join them. Most of my panels are 1/4 to 1/2. I joint the edges and check for a nice fit with no gaps. I always leave them a bit thicker and then sand them down. For the glue up I use a few bar clamps and a couple of clamps on the edges to keep the panels from bowing up. I use ordinary Tightbond glue. Since I re-saw my thinner panels I try to book match them. If you want pictures I could do a mock up. ben2008 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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