Skinning the cat dep't.: joining tops, sides

[Dave Bagwill]

Lots of ways to make a perfect seam between your plates. Sanding is a good way.
So I made a long shooting board/bench hook, got a piece of thick angled aluminum at HD, a strip of mdf, and made this. The strip of mdf makes a good straight surface for running the angled aluminum against, the aluminum is dead straight and does not flex, a strip of sandpaper just clamped tautly to the aluminum works fine. The important surface is the aluminum, and as long as it is riding along the mdf and is flat in the groove between mdf and shooting board, you are pressing the wood firmly and evenly against it, it works like a charm.
PSA backed paper would of course work just as well or better. In any case this does a very good job if you don't feel like sharpening up your plane, or if you have highly figured wood that an iron might chip out.

[Kevin in California]

I hand plane first, and then follow up with something similar..I use an aluminum level with shop roll glued on, I get very good fits between plates this way.

Kevin

[Tim Benware]

I do it similarly but do you see that black straight edge to to the leftin the pic? It is a Veritas precision straight edge. I attach 220 PSA) to its edge and joint. I first joint it on my power jointer to get it very close.

[Dave Bagwill]

This is what got me thinking about it, especially when it said:
"Jointing stock by sanding instead of planing reduces the risk of splintering and chipping on thin stock, difficult grain, or even lacquered or painted moldings."
Since I'm using highly figured bubinga, I really wanted to avoid chipping.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.a ... at=1,42500

[Tim Benware]

This is what got me thinking about it, especially when it said:
"Jointing stock by sanding instead of planing reduces the risk of splintering and chipping on thin stock, difficult grain, or even lacquered or painted moldings."
Since I'm using highly figured bubinga, I really wanted to avoid chipping.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.a ... at=1,42500

That is super sweet.

[Dave Bagwill]

Works very quickly and neatly at sanding fret ends.

[Ray Ussery]

Very cool Dave, Good Job!

I just made up a 24X12" shooting board from 3/4"MFD and screwed a 1 1/2" MFD runner to the plumb edge with 80 grit that I had attached with double-sided tape...I got a perfect match with the grain in about 10 minutes...
Then I made a 24X24 wedge gluing board from the same material. something like Ken shows on his website..and glued the thing up perfectly...for someone new at this I'm very pleased. Both cost me $15 inc. screws and paper and wedgesand will store flat against the wall. :>)