From: mclean@parcival.nwc.navy.mil (steve mclean)
Subject: Re: Wood for laminating
Reply-To: mclean@parcival.nwc.navy.mil
Organization: Naval Air Warfare Center
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 17:15:08 GMT

In article 26486@ttinews.tti.com, bellas@soldev.TTI.COM (Pete Bellas) writes:
>I am building a toy sleigh (used for holding teddy bears). I am planning on
>laminating 1/8" x 3/4" strips to make the highly curved runners. I would
>like to use alternating strips of light and dark wood. The main body of the
>sleigh will be red oak so I was thinking of using that for one of the 
>strips. I could then use either a dark wood (walnut?) or a light wood (ash,
>maple?) for contrast. 
>
>So much for set up :-). Are there problems of compatibility when laminating
>woods like this (expansion, etc.) that would make a particular combination
>better than another? Also, how many strips can you glue up at a time? Lastly
>what type of glue would you recommend? TIA.
>
>			-Pete-
>
>
>* Pete Bellas                   "Cogito ergo spud"                         *
>* Citicorp/TTI                       I think therefore I yam.              *
>* Santa Monica, CA                                                         *
>* bellas@gamma.tti.com                                                     *


I built a coat tree from plans in a Woodsmith issue (can't recall the number, but
it must have come out about 1-1/2 years ago) that required laminating to curve the
S hooks and the legs.  I built the entire thing from oak, but another project in that 
same issue showed them laminating oak and walnut together so I guess it must be ok
to do so.  They also recommended using 3/32" thick strips, saying that 1/8" is just
too thick to bend without splintering when bent.  I can't say first hand because I 
just took their word for it and used 3/32" and it worked fine.  They said to soak
the strips in water for 4-6 hours (I think) but I had better luck soaking them all
night (I live in the desert where things dry out real fast). Then clamp them wet
into the forms and let them dry that way.  Then when they are dry, take them out of
the forms and brush on the glue (Woodsmith said yellow glue works fine, so that's
what I used and it's held up so far) and clamp them back into the forms until the 
glue dries (at least 24 hours).  I forgot to mention that to keep the glue from 
sticking to the forms (I just build plywood forms), I rubbed the forms down real well
with parafin wax, worked great!  After the glue has dried but before I took them
out of the forms, I scraped off the excess glue from the edges and then took a plane
over the edges.  I took them out of the forms and then rounded the edges with a 
roundover bit and sanded them and they look great.  I can't remember how thick the
final hooks or legs were but I glued up all the strips to make up the thickness at the
same time (7 or so strips).  Just a note:  When you start brushing the glue onto the 
strips, you don't have a lot of time so have your clamps all set up and ready to pop
on as soon as you get the strips in place.  I had my wife help me brush on the glue.
(And no, I don't believe in paragraphs :)
Steve McLean
mclean@mars.chinalake.navy.mil