[net.rec.wood] Need help with joining boards

weil@dataioDataio.UUCP (Steve Weil) (03/07/86)

I am trying to get away from my usual plywood projects and build
something out of real (hardwood?) boards.  In particular, I need to
join several boards side-by-side to make pieces which are wider than
the boards I can buy.  The only time I have done this before was in
school where I had lots of large tools available (joiner, planer, etc.)
Now I need to do this with hand tools.  The two alternatives I am
familiar with are: (1) Doweling and (2) using a router to make some
sort of mating edge shape.

Doweling seems simpler, but I have never done it.  I am willing to
invest in a good doweling drill guide.  If I do this, do I have a
reasonable chance of getting the boards to line up evenly?  I am
willing to hand plane the result.

Routing the edges seems more reliable, but I have never had good
experiences with routers.  (And I would have to buy one.)

Any suggestions please?  If I am crazy to try to do this with hand
tools, then please tell me.  I CAN pay money to rent space to do this
with big power tools.

Also, I am a little up in the air as to what type of wood to use.  I
have used Alder before, it is inexpensive and moderately hard.  What
else should I look in to?

Thanks for the help!

Steve Weil		FutureNet - Data I/O
entropy!dataio!weil

weil@dataioDataio.UUCP (Steve Weil) (03/07/86)

> Now I need to do this with hand tools.

Sorry, I don't mean hand tools, but PORTABLE tools.

>  using a router to make some sort of mating edge shape.

Tongue and grove, etc.