Making Panels

[Andrew Pensavalle]

I know Kreg recommends that members of a panel not exceed 6 inches. Has anyone exceeded this? I am thinking of joining pieces that are 12 inches wide. They will form the sides, front and top of a Blaket Chest. Or, should I take the time to rip these naturally wide boards of Volador lumber? Any advise will be appreciated. I'm using the original K-2 Jig.

[Andrew Pensavalle]

I was thinking the same thing, but I figured the fact that each panel would be attached to another panel might offset the downside. I guess what I better do to play it safe is to rip those wide boards to six inch wide and then make the panel. I do intend to add glue to each joint. At least with the Kreg system, you don't have to take the time to drill matching dowel holes or bisquit slots.

Thanks for the response.

[KregRep]

Andrew, great question.

Once you start to get into larger pieces the issue of warping wood grows tremendously. The joint itself is easily strong enough to support such a span, the weak point is the wood itself. Using workpieces no wider than 6" will provide a lot more strength for the project. Look at it as a bookshelf, if you have a very long shelf but only include one support on either side, it will begin to sag in the middle once weight is applied. Using smaller pieces is like adding more support brackets or vertical edgebanding along the shelf.

Also keep in mind and remember to alternate your wood grains so that small piece warping does not add up over the span of the table top! For more information, see this video.

Good luck, and thanks for posting your question. Make sure to post some photos of your project when you're done, we'd love to see them!

[Andrew Pensavalle]

Great advise! Makes a lot of sense. Thanks

KregRep said:

Andrew, great question.

Once you start to get into larger pieces the issue of warping wood grows tremendously. The joint itself is easily strong enough to support such a span, the weak point is the wood itself. Using workpieces no wider than 6" will provide a lot more strength for the project. Look at it as a bookshelf, if you have a very long shelf but only include one support on either side, it will begin to sag in the middle once weight is applied. Using smaller pieces is like adding more support brackets or vertical edgebanding along the shelf.

Also keep in mind and remember to alternate your wood grains so that small piece warping does not add up over the span of the table top! For more information, see this video.

Good luck, and thanks for posting your question. Make sure to post some photos of your project when you're done, we'd love to see them!

[Andrew Pensavalle]

JD,

I notice that you did not actually attach a board from both sides. In other words, one board is screwed into another and that board is not screwed into the next piece but the next piece is screwed into it. I don't know if that makes sense. This will be my first project using the Kreg Jig to make panels. I would think that you would alternate screws so that each board is screwed into the board next to it and visaversa. Another question. Should you start from one side of a panel and work to the other side or start in the middle and work outward.

I can't believe all the questions one comes up with when they start a project that seemed so simple at first.

JD said:

I forgot to mention that I just completed a panel top for my DRT Project. I used six 1"x6"x6' Red Oak panels. I followed the instructions shown on the Kreg DVD that came with my kit. No glue, just some drillin' and some screwin'!

DRT Project - The Beginning

[Andrew Pensavalle]

I don't think I made my question clear. I'll try again.

You put two boards together. The pocket holes are drilled into the one nearest you. You complete the joining. You add another board and repeat the above process until all the boards are attached. Doing it this way you will have only one set of pockets in each board. In the pictures I saw of your table top you have two sets of pockts drilled on two sides of one board and the next board does not have any pockets drilled into it. Then, you again have one board with two sets of pocket holes, one set on each edge.

JD said:

I marked the boards 1 to 6 horizontally, then started with boards 1 & 2. I used 3/4" H style pipe clamps to the keep the panels aligned. Progressively I added one board at a time until all 6 were joined.

I followed the Kreg DVD with regards to panel attachment. The pocket holes are approximately 6" apart starting at 2" from an end. After completion the top has been moved several times with no signs of bending, twisting, or flexing.

Andrew Pensavalle said:

JD,

I notice that you did not actually attach a board from both sides. In other words, one board is screwed into another and that board is not screwed into the next piece but the next piece is screwed into it. I don't know if that makes sense. This will be my first project using the Kreg Jig to make panels. I would think that you would alternate screws so that each board is screwed into the board next to it and visaversa. Another question. Should you start from one side of a panel and work to the other side or start in the middle and work outward.

I can't believe all the questions one comes up with when they start a project that seemed so simple at first.

JD said:

I forgot to mention that I just completed a panel top for my DRT Project. I used six 1"x6"x6' Red Oak panels. I followed the instructions shown on the Kreg DVD that came with my kit. No glue, just some drillin' and some screwin'!

DRT Project - The Beginning

[KregRep]

Great conversation JD and Andrew. When it comes to edgejoining, your main concerns are using small enough pieces to eliminate warping and to alternate your grain for the same reason. Where you put your Pocket-Holes, either two rows in one workpiece or one row in each workpiece, isn't really that important. The way JD did it works great, and I believe is the way we did it in the DVD. However, if you'd prefer to put one row in each workpiece, that would be fine as well. And if you really wanted to go overboard you could put two rows in every workpiece. This would surely be overkill, but it's all up to you!

JD, one interesting thing about not using glue, is that if you ever decide to disassemble your table for refinishing or even to add glue at some point, it will be easy! For a beginner, I must say, your table is turning out great! Andrew, if you simply follow what JD did, your table will turn out great.

[Andrew Pensavalle]

Thanks so much for all this information. This is the first discussion group I have ever joined that has been so respnsive and I really appreciate it. Although it might take a little more preplanning, I think what I am going to try is alternate the holes at each edge. In other words, at six inch intervales one hole will be coming into the board and the next one will be the pocket hole part and so on. I wish I could get a hold of that DVD. I purchased my K2 a long time ago before DVD's. If this project works out, I am going to retire my tenon jig and dowel guide.

[Andrew Pensavalle]

Thanks, JD. That was very helpful.



JD said:

Andrew,

Kreg has the edge joining video on You Tube. This is the video I used when making my table top.

Kreg Edge Joining Video

Andrew Pensavalle said:

Thanks so much for all this information. This is the first discussion group I have ever joined that has been so respnsive and I really appreciate it. Although it might take a little more preplanning, I think what I am going to try is alternate the holes at each edge. In other words, at six inch intervales one hole will be coming into the board and the next one will be the pocket hole part and so on. I wish I could get a hold of that DVD. I purchased my K2 a long time ago before DVD's. If this project works out, I am going to retire my tenon jig and dowel guide.

[Jeff Devlin- DIY Host/Carpenter]

I know i am late to this conversation but i had to chime in! I have actually used a reclaimed chestnut boards and Pine that were about 12" wide and honestly they worked out great! The wood you are using is new to me but what i read about it is very stable. That is a good thing! I know everyone is very concerned with wood movement and the steps you can take to limit that movement, but it is just that you will get movement unless you seal it in a bubble. Wood moves! and why it moves is quite simple, changes in temperature and humidity. If your location for where it is going to be is an attic room that is going to change daily then yes the stress on the wood would be too much and you will have problems. If you can control that variable to some what of a constant they it doesn't so much become a problem anymore.
I am a huge fan of the old ways of furniture building and it was very common to have large panels for blanket chests some even upwards of 16-18" solid panels. Okay, hear is the second fun little note about wood!!!! Stability also depends on how the wood was cut. Quartersawn, Riftsawn, Plainsawn. Quartersawn being the most stable.
I know that the books say not to go too wide ( more than 6") that is because it is safe and has been proven to be safe over time to work FOR MOST. I have also seem 3" boards that where possible stressed while they where growing and when planed or cut they just warped like crazy and continued to do so for quite sometime.
I guess what i am getting at with all this is no matter what you do, you are at the mercy of the wood. You can educate yourself, control the environment, proper technique and preperation, but nothing is for certain. My suggestion is give it a go and make those panels wide, you will get the full beauty of the wood. On the other side If you don't mind the look of the smaller boards 6" try that ( Make sure you match grain best so you can to hide the joint line) Take all the precautions necessary for success. Either way it will be amazing in the end because you built it yourself. Life is about accomplishments and this Blanket Chest will certainly be one. I guarantee if you made the same piece twice the movement would be different on each of them!

Best of luck! Let us all know how it goes

[Andrew Pensavalle]

I thought I would send out a picture of the completed Blanket Chest that I worked on and received so much information from both readers of this forum and from the Kreg reps. Thanks to you all the project came together pretty well. Except for attaching the bottom with standard through the wood screws and glue, the entire project is done with Kreg Pocket Hole joinery. I'm just waiting to apply a finish as soon as my daughter decides what she wants. This Volador lumber finishes up really nice with just a clear poly wipe on finish. One thing I have to say about using this lumber.......it is HEAVY!!!