I'm finally putting the top on my bar (in the final weeks of a ten+ year project). I'm using 3/4" lumber core red oak veneer plywood (a fine looking piece). The bar is 13' long, so it's gonna have a seam. I've done all the cutting and dry fitting and it's good to go. Now I just need to attach the two pieces together. When I butt the two ends together, the seam is barely visible - it disappears enough for my needs, so I think I'm almost home free. I'll probably use a bit of wood putty to fill any imperfections, maybe making the seam even less visible in the process. I'm wondering how I can stabilize the joint so it doesn't crack. What are some techniques for doing this with not much more than average DIY shop tools? Should I put glue in the joint? Should I reinforce it from below? what about clamping? a 13' pipe clamp seems a bit unwieldly and a 13' bar clamp doesn't qualify as 'average DIY shop tools' ;). Any suggestions would surely be appreciated.
-Mike