I pulled all the clamps off the sides today and started sanding them. I have about an hour more of working the surfaces that the back and top will attach to.
But it takes a day to glue the back up, and the same to make the top, plus time spent on making braces… so while I’m sanding the sides, its time to start gluing the back. Thing need to go down multiple tracks if you don’t want to spend a year doing this. I’m always waiting for something to dry/cure as it is.
First you mate the edges by running them through an edge planer. Fiddly work, that; multiple passes, taking only a little at a time. I stop and check after each pass. You hold the 2 halves together against a bright light and when simple hand pressure mates the halves well enough that you can’t see light, it’s ready to glue. If you can see light, it’s not good enough.
I lay the wood down on top of a bar or stick, so it’s in triangle configuration, and secure the sides; I apply glue to the seam; then I pull out the bar and push the wood down so it’s lying flat. It’s the simplest way to put clamping pressure all along the seam, evenly. Wax paper underneath (and on top) if you ever want it to come free again!
Then I clamp a bar down across the top of the seam, so it can’t pop back up:
And I leave it alone for a day.
Walnut sides, Walnut back. It’s going to be a beautiful thing if I don’t screw it up.
