Opinions on laminations with fine furniture

[Nick2cd]

I have several projects in mind that i'd like to tackle. the only problem is, i don't have stock that is thick enough to make solid legs in the dimensions i would prefer. most of my stock is rough sawn 4/4 stuff. the only way i can get the thickness i want is to glue a couple pieces up and then mill down from that. I imagine this is frowned upon in "fine furniture building". should i wait until i can get 10/4 stock or proceed with glue ups? What do you guys do?

[Darnell Hagen]

I always try to start with heavy stock, but if I have to I will laminate. If I do I select a board at least twice as wide as my finished leg and rip it up the middle. This gives me two complete faces, a bookmatched face, and only one face with jarring grain lines which I try to hide to the interior of the project.

10/4?! That's going to be difficult to find and expensive when you do. What are you making, cabriole legs with integral knee blocks?

[Nick2cd]

I always try to start with heavy stock, but if I have to I will laminate. If I do I select a board at least twice as wide as my finished leg and rip it up the middle. This gives me two complete faces, a bookmatched face, and only one face with jarring grain lines which I try to hide to the interior of the project.

10/4?! That's going to be difficult to find and expensive when you do. What are you making, cabriole legs with integral knee blocks?

some of the legs i have in mind that use compound curves require the thicker stock. im just an amateur so i not ready to tackle anything like cabriole legs with knee blocks. btw, that reminds me, i need to google what cabriole legs with integral knee blocks are

[tdale51@yahoo.com]

Just my 2 cents worth here but...we never bat an eye at laminating to make a wider board. We just make sure that we take the time to arrange the pieces so we get the most pleasing grain patterns possible. If you follow the same guidelines when laminating to make thicker stock it's extremely difficult to see the joint line. Structurally it's just as sound as a solid board. Bottom line, I see nothing wrong with laminating so long as you take the time to do it right.

[Nick2cd]

Just my 2 cents worth here but...we never bat an eye at laminating to make a wider board. We just make sure that we take the time to arrange the pieces so we get the most pleasing grain patterns possible. If you follow the same guidelines when laminating to make thicker stock it's extremely difficult to see the joint line. Structurally it's just as sound as a solid board. Bottom line, I see nothing wrong with laminating so long as you take the time to do it right.

good points here tdale. btw, im from charleston, WV. i don't get up your way too often, but it's quite a beautiful part of the state.

[tdale51@yahoo.com]

I've only been here 2 yrs. I'm the Air Force and Uncle Sam stationed me here. I really like it here. I need to explore the state more though.

[Nick2cd]

I've only been here 2 yrs. I'm the Air Force and Uncle Sam stationed me here. I really like it here. I need to explore the state more though.

thank you for your service!

[tdale51@yahoo.com]

my pleasure.

[mattvan]

I've used laminations in many, many projects. As was mentioned by Darnell cutting a wider piece in half you can get very similar grain patterns, etc. For my projects, I try to design and layout the components being laminated so the face of one board is readily visible while the laminations are hidden on the sides.

Sometimes, unless you point it out, non woodworkers will never notice the difference. And while it's ideal to have thicker solid stock for components, I think a laminated piece also has some increased strength. Not to mention, in some of my laminations if there's a board with a bad knot or grain pattern that doesn't work for my piece. It becomes a great candidate for the lamination process.

[dwacker]

Stickly made legs out of four pieces of stock put together with a lock miter. Maloof laminated table post. I really dont think laminating stock makes a piece any less "fine" than one milled from solid stock.

Don

[bois]

I'd also suggest that lamination done well is often a best practice. Stacked lamination is often times Often time, it's not just the width or shape of the piece you need, but often grain direction or runout that necessitates using multiple boards. In some cases you can even use grain intersections as a visual detail. If you look at the Thos. Moser Pasadena line, all the legs on the pieces are laminated from two pieces of cherry so that there is a "v" shaped grain intersection at the leg joint, which creates a very cool visual effect.

http://www.thosmoser.com/image.php?file_id=8960