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Multiple side by side boards question

Aaron Beaver

Aaron Beaver

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Missouri
You know that bed I am making which has a lot of small boards side by side. How would you make those to allow for expansion, would you do a lap joint like what I have shown or something else?
 

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Yep, lap joint would work fine. Chamfer the edges like Jim mentioned for a more attractive look. Use a spacer, something like a penny or nickel, to maintain a consist ant gap and secure each board only at the boards center allowing it to expand and contract unhindered. Tongue and groove also works fine but more difficult to machine.
 
The intent of lap joints is to allow the boards to each change in width through moisture cycles, without a gap showing all the way through during periods of low air moisture content (Winter). You will want the overlap to be large enough not to show the gap completely through during the driest of conditions. Learn how much variation the boards that you are using may see and plan the overlap width accordingly. Yes, a slight bevel of the front facing edges will improve the view. Do the back too, if it will be seen. It will be a good idea to pre-finish these edges, so when the gap opens up you won't be looking at gaps showing raw wood.

Charley
 
I am going to use my Domino to attach each vertical to the rail, I would think that would keep them from rattling? Then the lap joints would just float/slide past each other for expansion.
 
Aaron Beaver said:
I am going to use my Domino to attach each vertical to the rail, I would think that would keep them from rattling? Then the lap joints would just float/slide past each other for expansion.
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Kinda sounds like overkill to me -IMHO. Simply pinning each board at its centerline top and bottom should eliminate 99% of rattling and, so long as you spaced well, allow for expansion/contraction.
 
Rennie Heuer said:
Kinda sounds like overkill to me -IMHO. Simply pinning each board at its centerline top and bottom should eliminate 99% of rattling and, so long as you spaced well, allow for expansion/contraction.
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You’ll have to excuse my inexperience but how would you pin these?

I was cutting them to length to fit between the rails and use small dominoes to attach them to the rails. I probably just don’t know what pinning is so not sure how it’s done in this situation.
 
Aaron Beaver said:
You’ll have to excuse my inexperience but how would you pin these?

I was cutting them to length to fit between the rails and use small dominoes to attach them to the rails. I probably just don’t know what pinning is so not sure how it’s done in this situation.
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simply take a small brad or "pin" and nail it though one side of the frame and into the slat at the top and bottom or like I said before just put the slat in the rails and place a space ball in between each one. This is an exampe of space balls.

they come in various sizes.
 
The issue is I wasn’t going to cut a groove in my rails to insert the verticals, planned on cutting them to length (distance between the top and bottom rails) and attaching with the domino, so I don’t think there is anyway to nail (pin) it, that I can see. Again I could just be missing it.

Appreciate the help.
 
Aaron Beaver said:
The issue is I wasn’t going to cut a groove in my rails to insert the verticals, planned on cutting them to length (distance between the top and bottom rails) and attaching with the domino, so I don’t think there is anyway to nail (pin) it, that I can see. Again I could just be missing it.

Appreciate the help.
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Ahhh. I see. Your plan will work, but I think it may be quite difficult to do so without having gaps at the top and bottom unless you are going to glue in the dominos and make each one, essentially, a mortice and tenon joint. Certainly would be strong.
 
Fixing each board tight on position might be a problem if the boards swell to beyond tight. The accumulating tightness is going to want the boards to shift sideways, and a hard glued domino is not going to let this happen. Pinning keeps them from moving, but it's not so tight that excessive swelling cannot move it slightly more sideways if it wants to. If these boards will fit into a rabbet in the end vertical boards, make this rabbet deeper than the top and bottom rabbets. Space balls top and bottom in the rail rabbets, located roughly centered under each board will stop the rattling. With them, you likely won't need to pin the boards either.

I usually make my own space balls with left over tubes of silicone sealant, which go bad if left unused for very long. Any color works and will never be seen. I squeeze out long strips of it on a scrap board, leave it tubular, and when it's dry, I cut it into un-round space balls, as I need them, with a single edged razor blade. The long strips peel off the scrap board and store easily in a long box, pvc pipe, etc.

Charley
 
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Charles Lent said:
a hard glued domino is not going to let this happen
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I think it would work if you only glued one side... and had a bit of slack.. and all of the boards were cut in a similar alignment from the log so they expanded/contracted at a similar rate... Actually if you glued the domino only into the boards and cut the slot a bit oversized in the rails it's probably fine, but it starts to look a lot like a complicated version of Rennie's first picture pretty quickly.
 
Okay, I think I finally see the concept now if I put a groove in the rail. I can groove the rail, then besides making the lap joint on the vertical, I would also need to rabbit the top and bottom to fit into the groove as I have shown here. Then I could either pin the boards, or use spacer balls above and below to take up the gap and keep them tight.

I cut my verticals long, I just have to see if I cut them long enough to do this because I was planning on the domino (mortise/tenon) style joint. If I didn't make then long enough then I will look into doing what @Ryan Mooney suggested with only gluing the domino into the board and making the slot wider in the rail. That's easy to do since it's just a flip of a switch to make the slot wider.
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Aaron Beaver said:
Should I sand and apply finish to all these pieces prior to assembly?
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Generally I do, although tape up the glue joints.

The theory is that as things move you won't be exposing unfinished wood. In practice I've gotten away without doing it on some pieces but also regretted it on one.. which changed how I ended up doing the rest :)
 
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