a lot more woodworking articles, info and plans here - nickferry.com/ - and the article for this video with tool list here - nickferry.com/2018/03/best-way-for-gluing-wood-together-to-get-thick-pieces-ep86/

How many clamps does a woodworker need? Answer: one more than he's got

Man, this is probably one of the biggest things I love about woodworking....I never stop learning. Nice tip Nick. Keep up the great vids.

Well done Nick! It’s the little things that craftsmen know among themselves but aren’t always shared or spoken about. Thanks again Sam

thanks for the awesome tip..."Oh honey I need to run to Lowes and buy a parallel clamp...lol!"

If you don't have a parallel clamp you can just use regular clamps with 2 flat wood pieces instead ! great tip thanks for sharing !

If lots know about it, it's not as important as the one who shares it. You just made many more productive and better makers. Thank You and keep up the great work.

Hey Nick, I've been using that technique for a while. The only thing I worry about is clamping the aligning clamping to tight that it restricts the other clamping. Yes it does work well. Makes me start to feel like I'm starting to have confidence when I see things I'm doing that others are not. I still have a long way to go. Thanks. P.S. still waiting on the 2nd half of the Valentine box. My wife's getting impatient.

After 40 years of experience, 25 pro you learn to not use sooooooo much glue. Squeeze out is excess glue, do your best to minimize it. Squeeze out is an indicator of plenty of glue but it should simply bubble, slightly, out at the joint line, dripping is way too much and too much trouble to remove. Excess glue is wasteful and further causes slippage when clamping. Do not use excess glue to fill a gap, add more clamping pressure. Clamping pressure will not starve a joint, contrary to what many think. A thin glue line is a strong glue line/joint. Try to never glue up stock that is cut to finished width or length. Lay your clamps on your work surface so that the bars are parallel to the work surface. Lay the pieces to be glued on top of the clamp bars. Let gravity help to keep pieces aligned. You can tweak a little after clamping if there is any slippage. With there proper amount of glue there will be minimal if any slippage.

Amazing use for my sole parallel clamp. Great tip Nick! First time seeing it.

Thanks Nick! As someone just trying to start out with woodworking, NOTHING is too obvious 🤣 Looking forward to seeing more of your channel 👍

I am thankful. As I have never seen this process before. When you share knowledge such as this, we can all benefit . I have a tavern table I want to build, and utilizing this clamp up method will ensure as much accuracy well before the final sizing of the wood for the legs. It is the simple things that enrich our skills. I appreciate this video Nick.

I am 75 years young. Have been doing wood working for, at least, 60 years. Part of the joy of working with God’s created products is applying the abilities He has given me in learning some new aspect of this fun hobby. Your video has thought me a very simple gluing trick. Thanks. Glen in Lufkin, Texas.

Randomly landed on one of your videos and now going through more. These are really well made and easy to follow. They're great!

Excellent tip. Will come in handy. Thanks Nick.

This is a great technique! I don’t think I’ve seen this on KZfaq before. I do it like this also, using calls and clamps, and I usually glue up all 4 legs at the same time. Saves time and the number of clamps needed!

Hi, I was doing exactly that today and found your video just before i started. It worked perfectly. Such a simple Idea, well done

Final little comment on glue-ups, for larger pieces: -it's not necessary to do all pieces at one time, so, do them in sets your clamps can handle -for the final gluing, align your sets against a straight edge, and on a flat surface; it's best if the flat surface is finished or metal (so glue doesn't stick too much) -lay weights over the joints to keep them under some pressure; I've used cans of paint, heavy tools, whatever is handy -for lateral force, I use a bottle jack and a couple of 2 x 4's. Remember you're not smoking it down, just even pressure, so the butt of the jack just needs a solid place to rest. Sorry to do all this with words, a picture would be much easier. It's really pretty simple. -

Always done this - thanks to my high school shop teacher who taught me a ton. Also - Clamps apply pressure roughly 40-60 degrees from the pressure point so it’s much more efficient to use cauls to thicken the assembly. If the thing is 2” thick like your glue-up you really need a clamp every 2-3” to have even clamping pressure. But add a 2” caul to both sides - voilà a clamp every 6-9” would do the same job. I’m hedging because it depends on the type of clamp used- but you get the idea - use cauls. F and C clamps are the worst bc the pressure point is so small.

Without any formal training, everything we do in the shop is trial and error. Any info that someone, such as yourself, can give is very useful. Keep up the good work.

I haven’t seen it done quite like this, but the amazing thing was that I was actually thinking about how to glue up some legs today and this video popped up in my email!Talk about your perfect timing! Thanks for the video Nick

Nice technique. One thing to consider is to simply use two K clamps (the parallel clamps) on both ends and just clamp in between with smaller clamps. That way, you can speed things up just a bit, especially if the wood to be laminated are dimensionally identical. No need to continually clamp and unclamp the one parallel clamp going down the length of the wood. Also, if you are not going to be doing a lot of additional dimensional work on the laminated piece, you can drop 3 small dowels/dominos/or biscuits into each piece. This will also allow for glue-ups with near perfect alignment. I know a lot of people do this more for tabletop glue ups, but they can work well with leg glue-ups as well, but the key is to avoid much more additional dimensioning or you might have the alignment dowels/dominos/biscuits show in the final product. Although that might be cool if you intentionally wish to show the internal joinery.

I dont have any parallel clamps but i do the same thing i would on bigger glue ups i use cauls just for allignment like that then right away remove em for clamping other side for even pressure and to clean up

Been a hobbyist woodworker for 20 yrs and this is the first I've seen this technique. Thanks for sharing Nick. I've used cauls for panels, this is the same principle for legs on a smaller scale.

Another method is to use a flat table covered with wax paper on the bottom of the edges. Place wax paper on top of the edges then place flat steel or angle iron on top of wax paper and clamp down in several places to table. Then you can use clamps from each side to squeeze the portions together. This has the advantage of using a flat table to keep the project straight during glue up as opposed to a temporary clamp. An even better way is to use angle iron on 3 sides and the flat table on the bottom. Place wax paper so that project never comes in to contact with angle iron or table. The project is held square on all 4 linear sides. I know the cost of angle iron scares some people but it is reusable and cost less than a good clamp if you get it from a steel supplier.

I'll admit, I was a slippery brad nailer person until now. Great tip!

Great idea and excellent explanation/demonstration. Extra points for the brayer glue spreader.

Nice work. I discovered this technique after struggling through several glue-ups. It takes the stress out of it and produces a great result when the clamps come off. I’m glad you shared this. Take care.

I’ve been a wood shop teacher for 36 years. Nice tip. Simple and does the trick. Thanks for sharing.

That’s a pretty good tip. Good to have in the back pocket of tricks.

Nice video Nick! Thanks for sharing it with us .😎👍JP

Good tip Nick, thanks for sharing. I have used this method before. Most of my glue ups are for large panels for my relief carvings; I do put small clamps on the joints at the ends of the borads, then I use pipe clamps on the rest of the job, the problem arise in the middle of the boards, then I use long wedges and a mallet to aline them.

Hi Nick, I just wanted to thank you for all of your videos I am brand new to woodworking and I mean new, my shop is being built and I am in process of gathering my tools. I am a retired nurse I own a small farm in Idaho, and I have been watching as many videos as I can. Your videos have helped me so much, thank you Chris

4:20 - years later, it was actually determined to be the biggest glue-up in the history of woodworking #historymade

Kinda felt like I watching a cooking show

This is a really great tip, I've always just put plenty of glue and allowed the boards to get tacky before final clamping, but even still it's always a wrestling match. Another problem is that I've never seen those parallel clamps for sale here in Greece where I live, but if I ever see them I am totally getting one or two, because really this makes sense! Thanks for this!

I tried this method of gluing up the fence pieces for your table saw sled plans today and it works AMAZING!!! I can't believe I never thought of gluing up pieces this way. I've tried all the other tricks but this works the best of all and is so easy. Thank you for sharing this tip!

Nick: This technique (seems to me) only works if every board is the exact same width. If the boards are slightly off, then I cannot see it working well. The parallel clamp would only touch the widest board.

Nick, your friend Rich was right, some of us doing this gluing find this helpful idea of yours very good indeed. You deserve a Gold Star! I make small items mostly with Baltic Birch. I had to glue up 7 pieces of 12mm Baltic Birch last Fall and everything was slipping a lot, eventually with a little struggling, I managed to get it under control after 4 or 5 clamps locked it up.

Great advice Nick. I did the exact thing during one of my glue ups and a buddy told me my clamp was going the wrong way too. He never saw this technic before and he's been woodworking for about 15 years.

“Starvation of glue.” That’s a new way to put it. 😆

So help me god .. if he pulls out a domino I'm gonna smash this cup against his .... ohh .. that's cool

This video has come up recommended, many times. I've skipped over it, but I also never got to see any other of your videos. Now that I have, glad I did. Subbed.

Nobody has glue issues when the wood looks that good. To feed his kids made me laugh.

Not trying to be a jerk, but couldn’t you just do it on both ends and call it good or do you have to work your way down? Great technique though that I will begin using in the future

I'm a qualified wood machinist amougst other things. I'll start with I agree that you can't have to much glue, but you can have not enough. The way I would do it, you don't need to worry about the timber slipping and I would do all 4 legs laminated in one hit. Say on the lengths of timber you are using, I would lay approx 6 X 900mm sash clamps down. Put all of your glued timbers in. All 4 legs, as they will stay separate without glue between legs. Then lay your other sash clamps on top between your underneath clamps. Then start to tighten each Clamp randomly top and bottom clamps until they bite. And then go over them all again when your happy where they are sitting and do them up nice n tight. All 4 legs done, no hassles. (And that's without talking about woodgrain directions into the laminating situation.) I believe I'd have my 4 legs glued and straight while your still lining your timbers up with your lining up clamp and clamping your 2nd leg together. I don't mean to sound rude. It's just the way it is 😜🤔🤣

Thanks Nick. Just ordered a pair of parallel clamps. Never seen it, but because of you, Rich and this community, we don’t have to fumble around anymore. Great tip. 😎

I’m really enjoying your new videos, keep it up! You content is Valuable!!

Must be an American thing not knowing about that "tip".

This was great. I am getting ready to do a project with some glue ups and I was curious on how to get the legs right. Very helpful. I need more clamps!

Genius ! Great Idea with the Parallel clamp - I've seen hundred of laminated workbench videos and everyone just uses clamps across thickness then planes,sands or runs thru a thickness Planer not worrying to much about being square across top & bottom of workpiece! After 100's of videos I chose your Joinery Method ( Garden Bench build) for my workbench & your way of Clamping Up the Workpiece ! Thanks So Much Nick !! : )

Hi Nick, I have been using this method for several years now. Before I just used the table top to align the pieces, then I started to use the aligning clamp. In my 35 years of wood working, this is truly the best way. Great video. thanks for showing it.

Wow, another way to do a glue up. Good instruction and I subscribed just because of your enthusiasm.

I've been doing this since I started woodworking BUT the SALT tip is what I really needed! Thanks.

Useful tip. Nice demonstration. And goes to show that no matter how long you've been doing something, somebody can come along and figure out a better/easier/faster way of doing something. Thanks.

I am doing so many glue ups this week and this really helped me out with a pretty warped board. Thanks Nick

Hi Nick! I use a slightly different technique where I align the pieces with two or three traditional wooden hand screw clamps, and then use metal clamps to compress the laminations against the length of a flat bench. That way, the glue-up is both lined up and straight, and gravity works with me to keep one board clean for truing the glue-up on a table saw or with a router. Good comment on orienting the wood to have the slight bends work against each other. I do that too and have great results.

Great tip Nick. Your videos are always so useful; I really appreciate them. Keep 'em coming!

Very nice tip Nick. I’ve actually used this technique for a couple years now and it works perfectly. You never cease to make me laugh! Great job.

I've never seen this method before, the parallel clamp usage is a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing :-)

Most of the time it is little simple things like this that help the newbie more than any formal class they could ever take. No tip or trick will work every time, as some other comments here have mentioned, however if it works only once then it made life so much simplier. Thanks for sharing this tip, and PLEASE continue to share any tips or tricks you might have, if you only help one person, well it was worth it. Great video, thanks!!!

I just started working with wood and this is the way I've been winging it when gluing stuff together! Anyways, thanks for the video!

I've always used salt... This is really cool and so simple thanks for sharing...

I saw similar techniques many times before but never that simple as moving a parallel clamp from one side to the other. I guess you've shown the best way to do it. Well done.

Okay, As a new wood worker this was a great video. I will be adding this skill to my very limited arsenal. Sometimes, what one thinks are the most simple skills, are really the most important. Because they are repeated over and over they become second nature. For a new wood worker they are great to learn. Thank you

Laminating legs for a platform bed frame and found this tip I will be exercising - thanks Nick, just saved me some ball ache.

Thanks for the tip Nick. I’ve always clipped a finish nail and worried about cutting into it later. I will definitely use this technique on my next glue up.

Great tutorial, this is how I glue multi laminate guitar necks, I also have a jig I built that does the same thing but if you aren't doing a bunch of repetitive glue ups this is for sure the way to go. Good stuff Nick.

BRAVO, You are the first person I've seen on You Tube that has advocated the gluing of a peace on both sides other than me. I have a video on my Roubo Bench build and in it I mention the necessity of gluing both surfaces for the best results in wide areas to be glued up. During my apprenticeship I worked with a lot of German cabinet shops here in Los Angles and they all thought me that method of gluing bar none. The only thing I would say I differ with your comment is that I was thought to put one side a very good cover of glue but not to excess and the on the other side a light cover so that both sides have a complete cover of glue but not to waist glue on the run out of glue. A little run out was professionally accepted but a huge run out was looked upon as very amateurish meaning the one hadn't yet learn how to properly glue up a peace of wood. I never knew exactly way it was the best other then that was the way to do a good job take a look at my bench build Dan West Roubo Bench build

Great recommendation, Nick! I have to make a small side table and I'm going to employ your method in gluing up the legs. This just makes a lot of common sense. Sometimes the obvious is illusive.....to some of us.

Tried this today . . . AWESOME! Thanks so much for the tip!

Thanks Nick! I’m pretty new to woodworking and never thought about this nor have I ever seen anyone else do it.

I used to make doors so I do know this method but you absolutely corect by showing this method no one was born with knowledge and we all have to learn after over 20 years in building trade I still find things to learn in a fields that I thought that I knew

Why the hell have I never thought of this? Thanks for an eye-opening video, man.

I've been doing glue up for years, I never thought of this. Nice.

Thanks for posting this. I want to make some simple side tables but I have not laminated table legs yet. Your video gives me some guidance to give it a shot.

Never seen it before, but it makes so much sense. Thanks for sharing, Nick!

Good one Nick! Always love those simple tips that can help out. Even know you may know the tip you may have forgotten it. So it always good to throw it out there. Thank Bro.

You can never have too many clamps, especially in this case. Thanks Nick for the videos!

they have had angular clamps for at least 40 years. It literally does exact what your doing. I used them more in welding class but we had them in the wood shop as well.

THANKS. I am actually just getting into wood working and was looking into how to build up wooden structures... and this randomly showed up. your channel looks amazing!

Thanks for this demo, I haven’t started wood work yet but it’s something I’m definitely interested in. Im putting this in my “how to folder”

Your friend is right, I have never seen this! Awesome! Thank you. Time to get a set of parallel clamps.

Ok so I clamped some pieces together that will eventually be coffee table legs and I realize I have no idea how to get them to stop sliding around. So this video kiiiiind of saved my life. Thank you!!

Nice tip! Use the parallel clamp as a sort of temporary caul during clamping. Much better than the salt method. Plus, you don't have to deal with all that bad luck from spilling the salt, having to toss some over your shoulder each time, etc. Perfect! :)

Awesome tip, I hate to admit it but I've been doing woodworking for a hobby for years and never saw or thought about this technique. Thanks for sharing.

thank you! I'm always looking for tips like this to improve my skills and quality of work!

Awesome tip, Nick! I love it when I learn such and effective and EASY new method. (“Now why didn’t I think of that?” 🤔) This is very cool and I will use this often. Thank you!

Another good way to adhere two pieces - especially larger flat pieces - is with silicon circles. We once had to affix a 30"w x 26"h x ¼"d full height backslash to a level 5 finish painted wall. The backsplash was p-lam on the front and vertical sides, raw top and bottom, and typical brown backing on the back side. The wall was a typical industrial grade kitchen wall at the sink, made of typical ⅝" green drywall and 2x4 studs. The owner didn't want any visible mars or defects, so brad nails were out. Likewise, normal glue was a no-go due to the warping in the wall caused by our #14 lags anchoring the base and upper cabs to the 6" metal backing behind the sheetrock. Our solution was to put 2"∅ circles of silicon with an ≈ ¹/16" bead, spaced ≈ 5" - 8" apart, and a continuous ¹/16" bead about a ½" in from the edges. After applying the silicon, we pressed the backslash to the wall and braced it with sticks clamped to the uppers and the counter, making sure to form fit it to the bowing pattern of the wall. We asked the Super to wait a couple days, and then remove and hold our clamps until we returned. When we returned some 5 weeks later, we found our upper cabs on the floor, a huge patch in the wall where the splash had been, and our splash in the Super's office - with the original sheetrock (and a portion of 2 studs) still attached. Come to find out; the owner didn't like the color and wanted the splash replaced. The site's laborer's couldn't get the splash off the rock, and the rock was screwed to the studs... They ended up removing the upper cabs to protect them, and then took a sawzall to the wall to remove the splash. So... If'n you need a good, quick method for adhering 2 pieces, circles. They act like suction cups, and once the silicon gums up there's pretty much no getting the pieces apart again. Just be sure to make *complete* circles that'll seal, and don't try this with varnishes that silicon has an issue sticking to...

Back in Rochester NY I worked at a museum where I was one of the youngest woodworkers. I had over 25 years working with wood and the older guys used to laugh at me for doing what you just did. I showed up to work on a day off and found out that three of them started doing the same thing but didn't want to look like they learned something from the "younger generation" so it was only done when I wasn't looking or when I was off. I made them a gift after I found this out. The gift was for all of them and it was a hand carved replica of my hand... giving them all the finger! LOL Never feel bad about doing something others don't do. it just means you think for yourself!

I saw this video a long time ago when I had first started looking into wookworking resources on KZfaq. I remember at the time thinking this was a great idea for glue-ups, but either because it was late or I was distracted I forgot both where I saw it and the overall method itself, but the knowledge I had seen a video that would really help with aligning laminations during glue-up stuck with me...and to degree haunted and annoyed me. And somehow today through the miracle of KZfaq algorithms, I wandered in this video again and I'm really glad to both have this knowledge and the monkey off my back of not remembering.

This guy is pretty good. I subscribed a while back and forgot to hit the bell. I think this will be a good channel to keep an eye on.

I'm glad you shared this. I have little skill in making things, but I do like to tinker in my shop. I've been thinking about how I might be able to glue up some MDF for some surround speaker stands I want to build, and this just might do the trick! I really do enjoy all your videos.

Great technique Nick! 👍👊

Great tip. My late father was a carpenter/woodworker on the side and built several chopping blocks which are laminated much like what you did. He used a couple of bar clamps as the base to position the wood on and then when all glued surfaces were placed would clamp them in the already positioned bar clamp. Once dried he ran both sides through a planer to get rid of any warps or bows.

I was waiting for some revolutionary tip. lol. however from the looks of it a lot of people never knew you could do this. Thanks for sharing. I always clamp the boards to the table with several parallel clamps across the entire workpiece and then the table acts as a level clamping surface for the bottom. Then clamp the boards together across the entire glue up.

Thanks Nick, that was an AH AH moment for sure! Will be using this in the future for sure......

Very good idea, I used it for the first time last night and it really works well. I can see why it blew his mind, i had never thought of it in that scenario.

Nice tip - I've done hundreds of leg glue ups. This is now my new method!

Fantastic tips Nick! I have used the salt before. However I've not use the parallel clamp in that manner before. I'll give it a try next time. Many blessings to you Nick.