In Tricks of the Trade

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Thin boards glued edge to edge have a tendency to spring out of place when pressure is applied to the bar clamps. A simple solution is to use short, notched clamping cauls at the ends of the joints. The cauls keep the boards aligned, while the notch prevents glue squeeze-out from bonding the cauls to your boards.

When gluing up, rest your boards on 34“-thick scrap to allow access for the caul clamp heads. Apply just enough bar clamp pressure to snug up the edges of the boards, then attach the cauls and clamp them lightly into place. You can now apply the final clamp pressure to pull the boards together without them buckling on you. — Rob Porcaro


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