Large, heavy table tops are difficult to glue up and I’ll show you some simple tips to make the gluing up process easier, especially if you’re working in a smaller shop or working by yourself. I’m making this table top for an outdoor dining table using 5/4″ Sapele. I worked on the table top in two halves (joining 4 boards total, with a 5th as the center piece) and glue the boards up using biscuits and use a biscuit joiner to cut the slots. I always use a lot of glue, which gives you a little more time to work, and then clamp the boards upright (standing up) to my work table using Rockler’s Sure Foot Clamps, which are lightweight and very easy to use. Here’s a video showing you how I do it:
Helpful Tip: Be sure to mark all of your boards with a pencil (ie, number 1 – 5 because I’m using 5 total boards) to make sure you’re organized and there are no mess ups during the glue up. Have your glue and clamps ready to go and easily accessible.
Also, focus on removing the glue squeeze our from the top of the table first. I use sawdust to remove the glue and then a wet rag to remove the glue before sanding.
