MFT Laminating Question

[LaLa]

I have no idea how to laminate two pieces of 3/4" thick x 2" wide x 48" long maple strips together (for squaring on the MFT).  I got this idea from the Festool website, and the author Jerry Work describes how much better it is to have two or more pieces glued together (and then laminated) than a single solid piece.  However, he does not describe the lamination process.  From the picture it looks like his own boards are not laminated, because the walnut and oak pieces look so clear.  I keep thinking laminate = formica = colored kitchen counter tops.  Also, which sides are laminated? Top/Bottom?, Sides?

Any help would be appreciated.
http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/Getting_the_most_from_the_MFT_multifunction_table.pdf

 

[MarkF]

I think by laminating Jerry is referring to gluing 2 pieces of wood together (Like applying a very thick veneer) so the wood has less potential for warping. 

 

[LaLa]

Thank you for the reply.  I did get an answer from another Festool owner pointing out that I am getting the term "laminant" and "laminate" mixed up.  To laminate means to glue together.  I was definately scratching my head on this one.  I still have much to learn!

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi Nick,

The answer you received is correct, I always like to glue two or more pieces of wood together when I want to avoid warp under load as with the squaring fences.  One humorous example occurred two decades ago when one of my sons came home from college asking me to help him build an electric base guitar in a weekend!  It turns out that he had this idea of using a 2 x 4 with tuning engines from another real base as sort of a joke he would call "the stud".  Obviously, the fir 2 x 4 would warp like crazy under the stress of the tight strings so we glued some surplus rosewood to the top and bottom surfaces, shaped the "stud" a bit and mounted the engines, string holders and electronics.  The next day after the glue had dried the strings were tightened and tuned without any warp in the 2 x 4.  Now 20 years later with two professional musician sons the "stud" still sees active duity and is a croud favorite - and it still has yet to warp.  The laminations of wood on both sides causes one to go into tension while the other has to go into compression in order to bend.  The two offset one another.

Jerry

 

[Dave Rudy]

Thank you for the reply.  I did get an answer from another Festool owner pointing out that I am getting the term "laminant" and "laminate" mixed up. 

Nick, Just to make things a bit more confusing, let me observe the following.  AFAIK, there is no such word as "laminant".  The word "laminate" can be either a noun or a verb.  If a noun, it refers to those 4x8 plasticy sheets (or other sizes) of really thin stuff (sometimes even veneer of different kinds).  (It probably can mean any thickness material which is being bonded to another material but its common usage is a thin surface bonded to a thicker substrate).  It is applied or bonded to a substrate (usually plywood or mdf) to produce a finished surface of the laminate over a stronger base (substrate).

Laminate (same word) is also a verb, meaning to bond two or more pieces of material in layers.  The layers can be very thin (as in putting laminate on top of plywood or mdf) or quite thick, as in laminating 2 2x4's together. 

Maybe in Australian or Welch they have more words to describe this better -- unfortunately in (American) English, we ended up with only one word which has to kind of do triple duty -- oh well.

Glad you figured out how to make the squaring arms, no matter what you call them!

 

[Jim Pieri]

Jerry, I love your reviews and would love to see a picture of "the stud"
JP

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi Jim,

I will contact that son to see if he can send a pic.  I still laugh every time I think about that thing.

Jerry

Jerry, I love your reviews and would love to see a picture of "the stud"
JP

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Jerry,

I think you need to clone yourself or drag that son into your shop, so you and he can go into production of "genuine STUD" guitars!  You make them, and he sells them.  And you can let the CUSTOMer choose the fancy wood to be used for lamination of the laminated structure.

Dave R.

 

[Eli]

In Australian, "laminate" is a quick roadside meal consumed during a getaway.....