I'm making several 15 foot counters that are to finish at 32" wide. Not having a supply of 15' boards, I'm forced to butt join some of them as I assemble and glue up the panels. It's quite an operation trying to even glue half of that panel together before any ordinary glue sets up. I'm probably going to go with epoxy. IAE, what I'm wondering is if there's any sort of barbed connector that I could use to butt-join the ends of the boards. I envision drilling a hole or two in the end of each board, sticking the TAMB (thing-a-ma-bob) in one end with some glue, then shoving the other board into it and having it stick snug without clamping. Sort of like a domino or a biscuit, but that doesn't require clamping. I feel like I've seen or heard of something like this before....
So you want to join them and then carry them round at 15' long, 32" wide?
Good luck...
Can you use the butt connectors that are used for joining kitchen worktops? You have to route out the right shape slot first, but jigs are commonly available. Once you have the jig, the connectors are only a few cents each and you can clamp it together on site with a joint as good as glue.
*But* you can carry it there without dinging it as well.
The kind of hardware you're talking about is standard in the PLUMBING dept -- a 'double barbette' connector for various diameters of flexible plastic/rubber/etc tubing. I _wouldn't_ recommend using them for wood working.
If you _really_ want to do the way you describe, the "classical" method is to use dowels -- just like any joint on shorter stock. More on this below.
The alternative is to use 'invisible' joining hardware. A dowel-type hole drilled in the panels, with some _large_ (circa 1-1/2") diameter blind (flat-bottom) holes drilled up from th bottom surface. A section of threaded rod goes in the hole, with washer and nut(s) added to each end, through the blind hole. Tighten to suit. For stability, use a a 2nd jam-nut on each end, or some lock-tite or similar.
This approach has the advantage of flexibility -- the panel _can_ be disassembled at a future date, if necessary. 7-1/2' sections also go around corners, and through doorways _better_/_easier_than a single 15' long section. Subject to where 'other stuff' goes, I might make it as
3 five-foot sections for that specific reason.
The secret is in clamping up the joint. You _don't_ have to have clamps that run full length of the stock. See the ASCII 'art' below. Clamp (_firmly_, with a reasonably large C clamp) a couple of medium-thick chunks of scrap stock (one on each side of the counter piece) near the front edge of _each_ panel, a few inches back from the glue edge. Do the same near the rear edge of the panel. Now, use pairs of bar clamps "above _and_ below" the panel at both the front and rear -- using the above scrap-stock blocks as the purchase points -- to pull the dowel joint closed.
If this is only temporery and can not be seen have you thought of making some staples to the right size and nailing the boards together with them? Another Idea is to take a dowel and drill two small holes in each end at 90 degrees and inserting a small piece of wire in each hole and driving it in to hole in the wood, sort of a like a dowel joint but with no glue. neither is very strong but good for a temporary fastener.
That's funny that you mention that - it's exactly what I came up with myself, but haven't yet tried. Having discovered that it's ok to have a not so perfect bottom to the counters, I used Dominos and pinch dogs at each joint. But I may yet experiment with what you mentioned.
What about creating an oversized tongue and groove and then using screws from the underside - at an angle in opposing directions - to help hold it?
*cringing & ducking, waiting for the resounding CLAP as someone whacks me on the back of the head* I doubt you could carry them like that but you might be able to join the like that on site if you had them all layed out first.
K.
So you want to join them and then carry them round at 15' long, 32" wide?
Good luck...
Can you use the butt connectors that are used for joining kitchen worktops? You have to route out the right shape slot first, but jigs are commonly available. Once you have the jig, the connectors are only a few cents each and you can clamp it together on site with a joint as good as glue.
*But* you can carry it there without dinging it as well.
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