And Now A Few Brads To Hold Things ‘Til The Glue Dries

[charlie b]

I needed something to hold the turning chisels and gouges that have proliferated as I get more into turning (yet another slippery slope in the Wod Working World). Make a ply box with holes for PVC pipes - the tools dropped into the pipes ?til the handle stops their descent (prior to the cutting edge or point from striking concrete). Another Quick and Dirty that has gotten away - way far away. It now has another box that sits on top of the tool holding box to make it a ?tool case?. And, because the ID of the ?top? is slightly greater than the OD of the base, the top can be inverted, the base slid into it and the top of the tool handles are right up where I can get them without bending way over.

However, in order to keep the top from sliding down over the base when in ?tool case? mode, the top of the base needed a ?shoulder? for the top to sit on. Thus began The Mitered Corners adventure. In addditon to the birds eye maple ?shoulder?, with mitered corners, there are now mitered cornered base ?legs? as well as mitered corners ?legs? on the top for when it?s in inverted mode.

With that lots of mitered corners context - to the subject line of this post. When glueing up mitered corners, clamps often a)get in each other?s way, b) hide things you need to see, c) make cleaning up squeeze out tricky if not impossible and d) are too heavy and cumbersome to let you turn things around or upside down for inspection - PRIOR TO THE GLUE SETTING. It IS possible to USE too many clamps.

So - the next time I?ve got a bunch of mitered corners to do, i?m going to borrow back my pin nailer a buddy has had for at least six months, and see if ?a few brads to hold things ?til the glue dries? makes things a little easier.

Anyone have a slick solution to the mitered corners glue up ?challenge??

charlie b

bottom of the page has what I've got so far.

[tom]

Why're you mitering? For practice? Putting those things together is a hassle, IMO. To me, it seems the box will protect them, sure, but also hides the working ends, making selection that much more difficult. You'd better know your handles well. Besides, everyone knows a good (if there's such a thing) miter will be splined, right? Tom

[Fly-by-Night CC]

I'd treat this just like a picture frame. Lay the pieces flat on a tabletop, inside face down, all in a row with the top edges away from you. Slide each top edge to a straight edge (I often use my locked down table saw fence) and butt the mitered corners together. Stretch masking tape across the flattened joints every couple inches and rub down to make sure it's secure - do this for all the joints. Carefully flip the taped assembly over and spread glue on all the now exposed and paired mitered surfaces. Roll up the assembly to press the joints together and then place tape across the last joint to hold it. Check for square - tweak if necessary. No clamps required, no brads required.

I use this method for all my frames, jewelry type boxes and segmented turning. Though I've not glued-up a mitered assembly much larger than maybe 6" tall, it should work equally fine for taller glue-ups.

[Lobby Dosser]

Latest issue of FWW 'Tools & Shops' does this (p82-83) for a 22"x16" box. They use packing tape - the stuff with the fiber running lengthwise

- and suggest doing two panels, then taping the two components together to form the box.

[Ba r r y]

Try these:

A buddy loaned me a set and had beat me up to get them back.

Barry

[Leon]

A band clamp. It self adjusts all the corners.

[charlie b]

Band clamps, spring wire pinch "clamps" and tape are all great ideas. BTW, they make spring wire pinch "clamps" that don't require the special "pliers".

As is often the case, I failed to provide critical info.

I tend to evolve pieces, making part one, dry fitting or glueing it up, then figure out, based on what I've got, what to do next. And being an impatient person, I often put a finish on what I have so far in order to see what will go with it.

Unlike the more organized segment of the population, the ones who make a cut list and actually remember to take it with them to the lumber supplier, I often just rummage through what I've got looking for something that's thick enough, long enough and wide enough to work - AND might go with what I've got. In this case, it was some walnut, resawn a year or so ago from some tree branches. What I had was maybe 3/8" thick and perhaps 18" long. Not of a size that lends itself to proper stock prep - with a joiner and planer. A drum sander got two faces smooth and parallel but the parts weren't flat. I did join one edge using a #6, with a Hock iron and chip breaker just to gloat a little, and ripped a parallel edge.

Now if you've tried to make a picture frame out of bowed, slightyl cupped or twisted parts you're familiar with the phrase "an exercise in futility". But, if you've already made the box this "frame" is going on, you have more glue surfaces than just at the mitered corners to help you compensate for less than perfectly prepared stock. If you add a rabbet the glue surface increases even more.

So I'm using the top of the existing box to act as an inside jig. It holds the vertical alignment and, once the mitered corners are tight and fixed in place, with clamps, slight twists, bows or cupping can be pulled in and straightened out. Once the glue's set the parts will stay put. But, with all the necessary clamps in place. getting to squeeze out is tough if not impossible.

Band clamps cover the outside of the mitered corners so you can't see them and pull in twists or cupping. They'll let you clamp in the sides but there's still the covered corners.

Spring pinch clamps let you see the outside corners of the mitered corners but can open up as you pull the sides into the case. If the spring pinch clamps are strong enough to hold they're apt to split the wood.

Still looks like a pin nailer is probably the best solution for this particular situation. Unless someone's got a better idea . . .

charlie b