Pro tips for table tops, counters and panel glueups

Pro tips for table tops, counters and panel glueups

This video is LOADED with tips to help you get a perfect panel glue-up!
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50 Comments

  1. Marty Schlosser on February 26, 2023 at 6:14 am

    Great set of tips.



  2. CaptainJester1 on February 26, 2023 at 6:15 am

    Great tips. I think the panel cupping also depends on the wood. I am making one out of pine and each board is on 3" wide but the panel still ended up looking like the side of a barrel because I didn’t make sure to alternate the boards.



  3. Dick Johnson on February 26, 2023 at 6:16 am

    So what you’re saying is, there is a huge market for 4 foot diameter trees.



  4. Pitts Chapel Farm on February 26, 2023 at 6:16 am

    I’ve used biscuits, but if you use them for panels be sure your biscuit placement isn’t near a bevel edge! I know that sounds elementary but I’ve done it and when I cut out a bevel….woops….there’s my biscuit again. Stooopid.



  5. Rich Ragan on February 26, 2023 at 6:16 am

    Thank you for the tips and camera work. Always learn something here.



  6. Dale Evola on February 26, 2023 at 6:18 am

    Why do so many people nay say pocket screws on panel glue ups or joining?



  7. Marius Hegli on February 26, 2023 at 6:19 am

    I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.



  8. Derrick Harris on February 26, 2023 at 6:20 am

    Thank you for the video. A little worried about this huge glue up for this dining table I am getting ready to build. To keep the weight down on this red oak dining table, I am using 4/4 material for the top and the side skirts. Didn’t want to have to buy 5/4 or 6/4 rough and have to joint and plain the boards down to the final thickness. So I ordered the 4/4 dressed. The boards are 12" wide so should I use dominos for boards this thick since I will only have three glue lines?



  9. Big Ray on February 26, 2023 at 6:21 am

    Thanks!



  10. Ken Krause on February 26, 2023 at 6:23 am

    Thanks James!



  11. OLD DAWG DREAMING on February 26, 2023 at 6:24 am

    Great job James, always appreciate your excellent advice. 🙏🏻🙏🏻👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👋👋



  12. Chris Leech on February 26, 2023 at 6:25 am

    Just bought my first jointer. How timely 🙂



  13. godamid on February 26, 2023 at 6:26 am

    I’m just starting my journey in woodworking. I am finding your videos extremely helpful!

    Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge with this newbie.



  14. Jin Kuang on February 26, 2023 at 6:26 am

    I think this is the best woodworking channel on the internet. Thank you!



  15. Mike Curtin on February 26, 2023 at 6:27 am

    As always, useful tips presented clearly. Thanks much and thumbs up to crush a troll.



  16. Maleko DeSouza on February 26, 2023 at 6:28 am

    Thanks. These pro tips will help, as I’ve never done this before. I’m in the process of gluing up and refinishing a Hawaiian Koa wood end table, probably built in the 40s or 50s. The large second “top” of the two layered table is about 3’ X 1’ and is made up of 4 individual pieces, all solid koa. The seams separated and I managed to get them 100% apart with no damage. They seem to sit pretty flat and the gaps are good, just have to get them together flat and even on the ends.



  17. Dan The Chippie on February 26, 2023 at 6:28 am

    What about grain direction? Sanding a pannel is no problem but if you intend on plaining the surface later it could be a tear out problem



  18. GtubeVideos on February 26, 2023 at 6:30 am

    Hi James. If I have a lot of 4 inch x 3/4th inch x 10ft pine lumber and ONLY a handheld circular saw, how can I get straight edges? I’d like to glue these boards together but I don’t have a jointer and using a hand plane over 10ft long edges might not work.



  19. Jk Canvas on February 26, 2023 at 6:34 am

    Great video with a lot of helpful tips. Thanks Stumpy.



  20. Dave Schmitt on February 26, 2023 at 6:36 am

    Great info, what do you think of the four sided clamps, like those sold by wood craft?



  21. Boris Borisov on February 26, 2023 at 6:37 am

    The way how you are explaining mate makes so much sense for me ,thank you very much for your advice and tips 😀 it helps me a lot because I am new in to woodworking!!



  22. Alek C on February 26, 2023 at 6:40 am

    Great video, thanks a lot!



  23. Katheryn Lamarche on February 26, 2023 at 6:41 am

    Been gluing boards for years and always worried about the end cup and
    ending with good cup rotation and not a great face look.
    Thanks for the type.
    Julien Lamarche



  24. Woodworks by Grampies on February 26, 2023 at 6:44 am

    As always, very educational as well as entertaining video. Thank you much for the amount of detail you put into your videos. Take care and have a good one 😀



  25. Catmando on February 26, 2023 at 6:49 am

    I never just use glue, although it is stronger than the wood. Whatever happened to using dowels? Am I doing something wrong. Wood shop 1972, high school is where I learned to use dowels to keep things lined up. Is there something wrong with using dowels, which seem to help prevent cupping. I just retired, and getting back into wood working. Whats changed?



  26. Andrew Bennett on February 26, 2023 at 6:49 am

    How long do you leave panels in clamps? I use Titebond ii most of the time.



  27. David Kenagy on February 26, 2023 at 6:49 am

    When I glue up a panel I keep one face in contact with the clamp bar. That gives me flat panels. But even a little ‘squeeze-out” will cause a steel bar to stain the wood. What’s more, that glue sets up in a bar’s fine notches, making it harder to slide the adjustable part.

    My solution is a small piece of waxed paper wrapped around the bar, and secured with a button magnet. The paper doesn’t fall out, and panels come out dead flat with no iron stains. You don’t need to wrap the whole bar, just a couple inches where the joint will be.



  28. Helen Schultz on February 26, 2023 at 6:50 am

    I do not know that type of scraper used to clean the glue. Does it have a specific name to search one in RSA?



  29. Night Cat on February 26, 2023 at 6:50 am

    Good tip about the shrinking biscuits; I didn’t know about that.
    I keep hand planes around almost exclusively for jointing & find that they do a far better job far more consistently than any machine can. They’re also quick, quiet, compact, & create virtually no mess. I am going to have to get a thicknesser though; planing faces by hand is not kind on the arms.

    Edit: Just remembered another tip. For smaller panels, you can get flat & smooth granite "worktop savers" for kitchens & sticking one of them, inverted, on top of the panel does an excellent job of applying just enough weight to prevent cupping. I like to put plastic wrap around mine in case I forget to remove it before the glue dries too much, but then it’s just a quick bit of scraping to clear up any squeeze-out.



  30. Stu Bonner on February 26, 2023 at 6:51 am

    For in the field of a glue-up panels I keep a bunch of matched wedges handy. I put them under the clamp bar and press the boards into alignment, doesn’t take much pressure don’t over do it, obviously don’t tighten wedges over a glue line. Rockwell makes a clamp thing to do the same.
    I’ve just made some 4 way panel clamps but I have only used them once so far with good success, auto flattening, no cawls. What are your thoughts on that type of clamp?



  31. Bill on the Hill on February 26, 2023 at 6:52 am

    Thanks James… Always a pleasure as I most always I get a little something out of your presentations. You have reminded me I need a set of those clamps for my upcoming 37 X 21 flag build!
    I’m currently setting up my new Wahuda 10" benchtop jointer. I’m close to coplane, not quite there just yet & I suspect I’ll be setting the cutters to the tables parallel again, it is a game of give & take that requires patience…
    Thanks again James,
    Bill on the Hill… :~)



  32. sarah .hazey haze on February 26, 2023 at 6:55 am

    Great video. What do you suggest if I didn’t take the glue off right away? And now it’s hard and dry. Please help! 🙈



  33. Craig Bowman on February 26, 2023 at 6:56 am

    Thanks Stumpy



  34. m oc on February 26, 2023 at 6:56 am

    Norm Abram did in one of the latter episodes of The New Yankee Workshop did confess that he had found that some of his older pieces that were joined with biscuits did show slight indentations at the biscuit locations.



  35. Nick on February 26, 2023 at 6:59 am

    Thanks for the great explanation, James! Quick question:. I’ve seen some people use splines with glue to create panels and table tops. Does the spline add any strength or is it similar to the use of biscuits? Thanks again!



  36. Lincoln Dickerson on February 26, 2023 at 7:00 am

    Keep it simple and take the time to do each step correctly using the right tools and everything will be just fine.😊



  37. versatile duplicity on February 26, 2023 at 7:00 am

    1:13 why I thought I was the only one who did that ? 🤣



  38. Phil Vanderloo on February 26, 2023 at 7:01 am

    Do you have an opinion on dominoes vs. biscuit for table top glue ups?



  39. Nathan Buhler on February 26, 2023 at 7:02 am

    Lots of useful take-home tips here. Thanks!



  40. william mcculley on February 26, 2023 at 7:03 am

    I pickup pallets on the curb and make furniture from them. Your videos are great, never hurts to pick up new ideas.
    Liam:



  41. Big Cedar Table Co. on February 26, 2023 at 7:03 am

    Love your videos ! I have had a few tables that were great glue ups (8/4 maple, red oak and some 6/4 walnut tops) following most of the methods in this video but 3-6 months later I can feel the joint seam with my fingernail (still flat top but the glue seemed to raise even though it was smooth when I finished the top) . I’ve been doing some research and I’ve been learning that it’s called glue creep? Seems hit or miss when it happens, I can’t figure it out and it keeps me from wanting to sell any pieces thinking piece isn’t high enough quality to sell. Idk what to do about it. Help !! Thanks again sir, huge fan.



  42. Jason Rhodes on February 26, 2023 at 7:06 am

    Hey Stumpy great videos. Had an idea for a cool video. Probably best for the vlogs. But could you shed some light on styles of woodwork.. such has what handcrafted really means versus the powertool guys or hybrid woodworker. As example i see a lot of items being sold as handcraftes even though im certain powertools were used.



  43. 4D Chess Player on February 26, 2023 at 7:07 am

    How do you do such good work when your hands shake like that. I hope it does not get any worse



  44. Stumpy Nubs on February 26, 2023 at 7:09 am

    When you use this link to visit our sponsor, you support us►
    Dura Grit Carbide Sanding Products: (Use Coupon Code: STUMPYNUBS): https://duragrit.com/home.php
    Subscribe (free) to Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal e-Magazine► http://www.stumpynubs.com/



  45. Chris Dixon on February 26, 2023 at 7:09 am

    Could you please make a vid on table saws with safety features that aren’t SawStop? Are there any? I like having fingers but SawStop is expensive and I’d personally be ok with a saw that might leave me with a small cut and not destroy the blade.



  46. Darin on February 26, 2023 at 7:10 am

    thanks



  47. Jack Thompson on February 26, 2023 at 7:12 am

    Great ingo.



  48. Doug Commons on February 26, 2023 at 7:13 am

    Great info for glue ups. Thanks!



  49. Eduardo Teixeira on February 26, 2023 at 7:14 am

    Good tips, thanks!



  50. Terrik on February 26, 2023 at 7:14 am

    One thing, you may need to worry more about panel cupping depending on where you live. Here in Wisconsin we have very humid summers and very dry winters. It’s a bad combination that can cause wood to move a lot more.