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Q & A: Perfectly Flush?
Q:
I recently bought a plate joiner in
hopes that it would help me get perfect
alignment when edge-to-edge gluing.
I’m still getting some unevenness
at the joints.What gives?
A:
Biscuits help considerably with
alignment, but getting absolutely perfect
alignment is unlikely.Having glued
up what seems like acres of tabletops, I
find that slight variations in wood
thickness,minor warpage or loose-fitting
biscuits can all throw off the joint.
A slight tipping up or down of the
plate joiner can also cause a misaligned
joint.
You can overcome some of this misalignment
during glue-up by tapping or
pressing high spots into place before
fully tightening the clamps. Otherwise it’s best to accept a slightly uneven joint
and then sand or scrape it flush.
Another option is a spline joint. Use
a slot cutter in your router. Then mill
your own spline to fit. Because the
spline joint runs the full length of
the board, it offers very consistent
alignment.
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This story originally appeared in American Woodworker June 2001, issue #87.
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