Mike Poorman
This video was made in partnership with Titebond
In part 2 of this 3 part video series from Mike Poorman of Woodshop Mike, we will learn how to make a table top and what to do if it does the dreaded “potato chip.”
A couple really good tips are shared right off that bat as it relates to milling lumber. For instance, Mike suggests utilizing more boards at a narrow width rather than fewer boards at wider widths for your glue up for a greater chance at having a stable panel. It also helps to let the wood re-acclimate any time you open it up or change its dimensions drastically. This means letting it rest in your work area overnight at a minimum before beginning to work with it again. Even though wood is technically a dead tree, it still tends to act like it’s alive! Be sure to keep reading to see what you’ll learn in the video and feel free to check out the links below if you need guidance on some of the tools or products you see in the video.
For all you domino lovers, this part is for you. Mike recommends using the Festool domino to strengthen the panel and prevent bowing, but he doesn’t believe it will be a catastrophe if you don’t have the ability of incorporating dominos into your table top. He offers a hot tip in the video on domino placement so be sure to look for that. Keep in mind when working with Titebond II wood glue, the full strength bond occurs at 24 hours. Mike keeps his panel in the clamp for 5 hours during this build and feels confident he can proceed working with it while also avoiding stressing the joints.
Despite our best efforts, sometimes projects don’t go our way. Follow along to see how Mike remedied the situation when he discovered his table top had bowed. Consider enrolling in TMCU for full access to all of the educational content shared here and follow along with Mike for more tips and tricks on how to:
Utilize C-channel for table top stabilization
Use a router with the grain to avoid tear-out
Force your table top to flatten after it has cupped
Install equalizer slides for a table with a leaf insert
Comment below if you want to learn more and let us know what to share next!
Comments