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by Ellis Walentine
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will help with alignment, especially if the ply isn’t perfectly flat.” “I would inlay the black strip, slightly oversized, into the edging, then flush-trim it to create a precise glue surface. Spline or biscuits are called for, including in the miters. If you use biscuits, position them below the center of the ply to prevent telegraphing up to the veneer surface.” “It should be fine to glue the edging directly to the plywood, since there is long-grain-to-long-grain contact, but I would likely add a tongue and groove for added strength and security.” “I would stay away from plywood and use MDF instead. Even the best plywood is far from flat, and that will drive you nuts when you try to get the edging both flush and straight. If you’re resawing your own thick veneer, you might be able to plane out the wavy surface. As for the feature strip, I would make a small rabbet on the inner edge of the edging, glue in the strip, and flush trim it.” “I am not fond of MDF, but unfortunately, I am even less fond of what passes for plywood these days. If you can get some Apple Ply or high quality Baltic Birch and it checks out as flat enough, I would go with that.” “I would make the frame up and let the black strip into it, creating a flat interior edge. You can glue it directly to the MDF, but out of an abundance of caution, I would use a spline. I probably would
How Would You Make This Top?
WoodCentral’s specialty is its forums, where visitors exchange ideas and timely advice on all sorts of topics. The unique value of forum discussions is that you’re not relying on one person’s say-so when seeking advice. Participants reinforce and help clarify each other’s points of view, resulting in a broader understanding of the issue at hand, and often, going off on tangents that further illuminate the topic. Even advanced woodworkers benefit from the collected knowledge and experience of other members. Recently, one of our more experienced regulars asked how best to construct this table top (right). It consists of a plywood panel, veneered in shop-made Curly Ash, edged in solid Curly Ash, and inlaid with a narrow African Blackwood feature strip. The replies ran from construction advice to a discussion of veneer substrates... “You can glue the frame to the plywood without any type of spline, but splines or biscuits
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Woodworker West
July-August, 2013