Gluing Birch Plywood

[rsvogt]

Making a bookcase with 1 inch sides and shelves by gluing ½ inch birch ply together to make 1 inch. This will be done after rough cutting to size. 1 inch edges will have ½ round trim to finish. Case will be painted. Is there a problem gluing the cut sheets together? What glue will be best? Any suggestions welcome

 

[Bas]

Gluing the cut sheets together should not be a problem in terms of strength, but alignment could be an issue. The two pieces will slide around while you're trying to get the clamps on. It might be easier to laminate larger sections and then cutting those into shelves/ sides. Just make sure you can clamp the sections properly. Alternatively, cut the parts oversized, laminate, and then trim to the final dimension.

As for glue, any good carpenter's glue will work. I use Titebond II on most of my projects, but Titebond I or Elmers should do great as well.

 

[bobby g]

Apply glue, align, pop in a couple of brads to hold the pieces in alignment and clamp it. That should do it.

bobby g

 

[ScottM]

+1 with what Bobby G said. Just map out your cuts before hand. Last thing you want to find out that a brad in right on a cut line. It will happen if you don't :embaresse

 

[Gofor]

A small foam roller works well for spreading the glue.

Go

 

[Bryan S]

Keep the layer of glue thin, bear in mind the excess has nowhere to squeeze out and it is very easy to put too much. Mark's (Gofor) suggestion of a foam roller sounds like a real good one, one that I'll have to try when I laminate the 2 pieces for my drill press table.

 

[woodworker2000]

Maybe I'm asking as much as suggesting, but what about using contact cement to glue the sheets together?

 

[BKind2Anmls]

Sliding sheets is a common problem when sticking two sheets together. I nail very small brads in the bottom sheet and then cut the heads off so that only 1/16 or less is sticking up. It only takes two brads. Then I place one corner of the bottom sheet into a square corner area (I use a thick clamping square) and put a corner of the top sheet in that same clamping square so that both corners are perfectly aligned. When I press the top sheet down to the bottom sheet the little brads keep it from slipping and then clamping is a breeze. You may want to make cauls for clamping in the middle of the sheet.

 

[CrealBilly]

Apply glue, align, pop in a couple of brads to hold the pieces in alignment and clamp it. That should do it.

bobby g

Yep... I learned to beat the brads in only part way on the side to be glued then nipping the heads off at a angle, so when you join the two there will be no brad holes to deal with later. I join a lot of weird stuff this way, seems to work well to keep stuff aligned and is a lot cheaper than buying two pointed brads and a special tool to insert them.

 

[toolferone]

I had forgot about the old hide the cut brad nail trick. Thanks for the reminder!!

 

[8-Ball]

Post deleted by author.

 

[Howard Acheson]

In our cabinet shop we laminated plywood and other composition materials with contact cement. No need for clamps and you could get the job done and be ready for the next step in an hour or so.

 

[rsvogt]

Howard - Regarding the use of contact cement. Doesn't contact cement adhere on contact? Is there time to lay one piece on top of the other and make minor placement adjustments? Can the cement be rolled out to make it even across the surface?

 

[Bas]

Howard - Regarding the use of contact cement. Doesn't contact cement adhere on contact? Is there time to lay one piece on top of the other and make minor placement adjustments? Can the cement be rolled out to make it even across the surface?

I'm not Howard, but I play him on TV. :gar-La;

Contact cement bonds on contact. There are no second chances. I repeat, this is not a drill. There are NO second chances. Typically, you apply a thin layer to each surface using a roller, let it dry to the touch, then put the two together.

You may want to use some very thin strips of wood (2" wide by 1/8" thick), put those on one sheet (with the contact cement dried), then stack the the second piece on top of the strips. The strips ensure the two pieces don't bond until everything is perfectly aligned. Then, apply pressure to the top, and one by one pull out the strips, working from one end to another.

 

[Skymaster]

Tho contact will work. I vote NO, Alignment is going to be the issue, Contact WILL NOT ALLOW ANY MOVEMENT AT ALL. T'bond II, some brads, cauls and clamps is the best way IMHO. Use paint roller to spread glue, the "grab" will be very surprising!!!!!!!!!! You will only have about 5 mins to get it all aligned b4 it starts fighting back :gar-Bi:wsmile: