any tips on multi-laminate gluing preparation ??

[nick-p]

done this many times with my favourite TITEBOND ORIGINAL but you know how it goes.... a big panic to line the woods up so that when you clamp, you hope the separate pieces don't scoot off in odd directions as titebond sets so darn fast !

I thought about making up a kind of jig so I can drop each laminate in to a kind of pre-shaped frame keeping all pieces square, but hey, I'm guessing you folks have an opinion on this subject ??. for a thru-neck assembly I'm likely to glue 9 pieces together, some of them only 1mm thick [ veneer ].

one final question.. should I be putting HUGE clamping pressure on so I only end up with a light film of glue between each piece or a "lesser" pressure so I get some "squeeze out" but end up with more glue in there ? I'm a bit unsure which method makes for a sharper looking pinstripe on laminates too..

your expert advice is gratefully received... thanks,  nick

[Russell Vance]

Nick - I strongly advise covering both surfaces with Titebond, so does Franklin who make the stuff. R.

[Ned Knepp]

Nick, even CA can slip sometimes. (unless it's on my fingers.)     

I'm not really sure I understand the problem. I know that Titebond  can grab fairly quickly but my experience is that there should be plenty of time to glue up the boards, position and clamp them if you have everything ready to go. The usual practice is to make the body blank over sized when gluing it up then trim and plane it to the final dimensions. There should be some room to be a bit off during the glue up in this case.  

[nick-p]

thanks everyone.. I will in future make sure I have a method of keeping all pieces in place for gluing and DEFINATELY coat both surfaces.. again, thanks for your guidance

[Ron frazier]

Several things I do is make all the wood larger than needed then I use lots of glue tight bond,
I have never tried no 3 as I like what I used since it was invented
Clamp one end first and give it a few seconds than the other clamps an retighten.

I like the idea of doweling one end.

I have though of using some thing like sand in a salt shaker to give some traction
Any ideas?

Finger boards is my fear as they cannot move!
I have used small brads and nailed them on at one end and I have also put a small nail in the neck and cut points on to keep them from moving.

The last I have used is alignment holes of 1/8" in both ends in the neck of the board.

Ron

[nick-p]

good ideas ron, thanks

[nick-p]

glued up my latest 15 laminate build but must confess, even though I put a makeshift cradle together I am still panicking to get all 15 together before the first few are trying to set !

[Ned Knepp]

NIck said : " I am still panicking to get all 15 together before the first few are trying to set!"

Nick, That's why I mentioned gluing them up a few strips at a time. If you build up several "sticks" you only have to deal with a few glue layers at a time. The last one doesn't have to be any harder to do then the first one. It just take patience to wait for sections to dry each time. 

In the end, it looks like you got it done OK. 

[Robbie Collins]

IMHO, there isn't any advantage in gluing it up all at once except for speed and that is offset by the chance that the glue will set up before all the layers are added making for weak glue joints. Why not do the three stringers individually, then insert the  two inner blocks before finally gluing on the wings? After all, if you're going to this much trouble what's two extra days?

You could always simplify the design.

[nick-p]

yep. next time I will try and glue a few at a time. thanks for your thoughts everyone..

[Donald A. Fortune]

Hi Nick - just for a post   script kind of thing -- when I glue up a larger serface than say 1/2'' or so then I use a small roller that I have that does a real good job of putting glue on in a uniform manner--

Just my two cents---

Peace, Donald

[Ned Knepp]

In all the hoopla, Nick, I forgot to say that's going to be a cool looking neck.