Working with wood is not a skill that comes in a few minutes. A worker has to spend a lot of time with various tools to get good cuts. But the tools are not always the heroes. At times it is the skills of the user which help to finish jobs. One such job is joining the boards. Edge joining is very important for various tasks. So here, we are showing few methods on how to join boards lengthwise.
Contents
Method 1: Gluing The Boards
This might be the first idea any person would get when he wants to join boards lengthwise. This method is straightforward and very cheap too. Proper wood glue is the primary need, and half of your task is over. All the user needs to do is give a wood glue coating on the length of one board and fix it to the other. So let’s see the steps to join the boards with wood glue.
Total Time: 1 Hour
Step 1
Find a clean workspace to work without any disturbances. Make sure it has good lighting for working
Step 2
Arrange the boards together and make sure it doesn’t move.
Step 3
Draw a curve or an alphabet like the U on the board. This is to help when the boards get pasted
Step 4
Remove one board and apply wood glue on the length of the other board. Make sure not to use too much glue as it may be tough to remove it.
Step 5
Attach the boards. The chalk marks on the board would help with your alignment.
Step 6
After aligning it, put some pressure through the clamps. Leave it untouched for around half an hour.
Step 7
There might be some extra glue spilling out. Remove it before it dries. This completes the process, and the user might have a neat finish.
Materials Needed
- The boards
- A proper wood glue
- Clamps for keeping the boards still
- A chalk or erasable marker
- A chisel to remove excess glue
The wood glue method is the easiest of all. But it is apt for proper equal sized boards and temporary joins. They can hold the boards well. But there are many other methods which are more durable.
Method 2: Cut Dowels
This is a method that uses cut dowels to attach the boards lengthwise. They act as a tension point between the boards. This is a bit tougher process. So have some good practice before trying it for the first time. Have your dowel rods ready before starting the process. So here are the steps needed to join boards lengthwise.
Step 1
Get your boards ready and have a neat environment to work on.
Step 2
Measure the locations for the dowel and mark points with equal distance between them. Keep in mind the boards while marking the points. A ruler and depth gauge would be of great help.
Step 3
Get the right drill bit for your dowel rods. Do the hole right and test it with the dowel. Don’t forget to remove the sawdust and then make sure the dowel fits.
Step 4
If the first one is perfect, proceed the same way for the others too. Remove the sawdust in all the holes.
Step 5
Now fix the dowel rods in one board and leave it free on the other board. A standard glue would be enough to improve your dowels.
Step 6
Now connect the boards. The dowel rods will fix inside the holes without rods without any problem.
Step 7
Set it right and leave it undisturbed for a few minutes. The boards get joined without a problem.
Materials Needed
- The boards
- Ruler and depth gauge
- Clamp
- Drill
- Drill bits
- A good dowel
- Some adhesive
This gives us a very durable finish. Even though its a bit complicated process, it provides a quality finish. Getting the dowel rods might take some time, but after that, it is an easy process to finish.
Method 3: Kreg Jig
The Kreg Jig might be a new name for many beginners. The Kreg Jig creates a hole where the screw gets inserted. The hole is an angled pocket hole. The insertion angle allows the joint to be stable.
Step 1
Get your boards ready and have a clean environment to work in peace.
Step 2
Adjust the depth collar according to the board’s measurements.
Step 3
Position the pocket-holes well, and after that, raise the correct guide hole.
Step 4
Clamp the pieces and start drilling into the guide hole. About three sets of pocket holes will be beneficial and give more stability.
Step 5
Fix the other board to the board drilled. Align them and drill the screws into the pocket holes. Drill it until they pierce the other board.
Step 6
Drilling all the holes will finish your job, and now join boards lengthwise.
Materials Needed
- The boards
- A good drill
- The correct size drill bits
- A Kreg-Jig set
- Clamps
Proper pocket hole creation will give more stability. The tools may add to your price list but are worth it for the finish they give. They are not the best for beginners too if you’re interested in trying it, practice in some scraps before trying in the main project.
Method 4: Strap Joint
In this method, an extra strap of metal or wood gets used in joining these boards. This is a method preferred if the appearance of the boards doesn’t matter. You can pick a planer over a jointer too. A strap piece of 1/4 inch would give good stability to the joints. Let us see the step by step procedure of this method.
Step 1
Get the boards ready and an excellent place to work on it. Also, get the material for your strap piece too.
Step 2
Choose the face of the boards which need not be visible. That is where the straps will be there.
Step 3
Cut the straps based on the required size. A 1/4 inch strap piece will be ideal.
Step 4
The strap can either get glued to the boards or screwing. It will also be fine.
Step 5
If screwing it is your choice, be careful while choosing the points. Clamp the boards and screw the straps.
Step 6
Either screwing or gluing the strap would finish the job.
Method 5: Joining Boards
There are several other methods of joining boards lengthwise. The more challenging part is to find out when to use which of the joints. If using a thick tile, you can prefer a porter. But this is a skill which the user develops over experience. There are many types of joints like
- Butt joints
- Tenon joints
- Miter joints
- Dovetail joints
- Edge joints
But we will be focusing on joining the boards lengthwise. This is also called edge joints. The boards get fastened on their long sides. This is to create a larger board that can help with any big project. They also result in a straight and long piece of wood. So let’s see the various methods to join the boards lengthwise.
Materials Needed
- The boards
- The material for the strap. Plywood or any other metal is preferable
- Clamps
- Drills and screws if you prefer screwing the strap
- Wood glue if you prefer gluing the strap
- Clamps
- Measuring tapes
This is a money-saving process and can save time too. The joint may not be as durable as many other methods. But it is an excellent option for temporary joints.
These are few methods to join the boards lengthwise. There are still many other methods like the biscuit joiner, spline method, etc. But if you’re a beginner, any of the four methods mentioned above would be an excellent choice for your edge joints.
Some Tips
Here are a few extra tips to help your board joints.
- For quick or temporary joints, it is better to prefer wood glue. It gives a good finish and can last for some time too. But the glue can fail in some drastic climatic changes. The user must be careful about this problem.
- If stability is your concern, prefer the dowel or Kreg Jig joints. They are very durable and stand strong for a longer time.
- The strap joints are suitable for crown moldings and other works where only one side is visible.
- Safety is an essential factor to consider before all these. Working with these joints or power tools is a dangerous task. So make sure to have the right safety equipment before working.
- Clear the sawdust after drilling for better results.
FAQs
1. Will the wood glue be as strong as screws?
Yes, the glue can be as strong as the screws. They can hold the boards strong and can last for quite some time. The glue can add more rigidity to the final product too. They are preferable for temporary joints and are as durable as the screws.
2. What is the strongest wood joint ever?
There are many different types of wood joints. They are exceptionally durable and last for a long time. The mortise and tenon joints are the strongest, according to many experienced people. A mortise is like a cavity that gets cut for the tenon to go in. This creates a very stable joint.
3. Which is stronger-Dowels or biscuits?
The biscuits are apt for alignment more than strength. But the dowel brings excellent strength to the board. But the biscuit joint can also last for an extended period. The dowel is relatively more robust and is very versatile for different types of joints.
Conclusion
We hope our guide on how to join boards lengthwise is useful. These simple methods are easy to learn and master. All the user needs is some right concentration and patience. We hope your joint skills are now better than before, and your edge joints are going to come out in perfection.
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