Clever ideas for clamping and edge-gluing flat panels 

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Stumpy Nubs is several orders of magnitude better than every other woodworking channel out there.

The rubber bands, pure genius, it's astronomical amounts of profanity that the exact same situation has provoked from me without rubber bands

Go to the big box store and sort through the crappy whitewood studs. Betcha you'll find several cauls with a variety of curves.

I have got to the point where when I have a woodworking question, I fire up RU-vid and see what Stumpy has to say on the subject. I’m rarely disappointed. Thanks for the guidance. You’re a good man.

The rubber band trick made this video worth watching all on its own! Thanks!

Answering the caul as always. Nice tips. 😊

The fastest easiest way to cut the curved cauls is with your hand plane: Mark the center of your caul. Then plane the last four inches of one end, about two passes. Then two passes on the last eight inches, then 12,16 etc until you get to the center Then flip and do the other end. Makes a nice even curve in less time than it takes to get the tape out.

Painter’s tape - genius

Awesome! Best tutorial on caul making I've seen here on "the tube." Holes over the seams! Of course! Perfect! Built up paper painters tape? Another awesome... the last method (cutting a curve) is all I ever considered or used. Your post has provided me withh knowledge to become even better at amateur woodworking! Thanks James (Stumpy).

Hi James, those tips were absolutely brilliant, many thanks. Regards Jim UK.

James your are a genius. Always so insightful. The holes over the seams... tape to create a arc... rubber bands... 🙌

Sheer brilliance mate. I’ve only ever made my cauls by planing down on each side and thus left with either a permanent caul or, as usually happens, a thinner piece of wood. Your idea of using blue tape to achieve the same result is truly brilliant. Thank you so much mate, once again you’ve shown how clever you are and how grateful I am that you share your knowledge and wisdom, thank you

I save scrap pieces because I'm cheap and a wood hoarder. Can't help myself

Oh yeah, rubber bands...Yes! I totally forgot to comment on the use of rubber bands, of course! Duh! So many times I've struggled to keep cauls from moving on me while setting up the clamps. Awesome!

I have been using cauls, but had never seen or heard of the idea of putting holes over the seems. Great idea! I love learning new things. I also like how you explain it in detail without being too wordy. Keep up the great work.

Nice, the only cauls I've ever heard about where the last ones you mentioned. Glad to know there are other styles.

I knew that cauls should have a slight radius but never thought about using painters tape to create the bow. I also like the thin strip method to create the bow. Thank you for sharing James. And stay healthy.

Stumps you're a lifesaver. I've been working on a dining room table, dreading the final glue up... this will help enormously.

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us! The blue tape method of creating a crown is so helpful.

Great ideas Stumpy! I came up with an idea by accident. I acquired on old bed frame that I am going to use on some projects. When I tore it down I came up with (2) 3 ft pieces of angle iron. I've since started using them as cauls and they work great.

Man, I wish I'd watched this video before making my son's desk.

Nice clear video and well laid out workshop. Good idea shelving for grinders as they take up a lot of bench space and chisels look great laid out. Am clamping old split clock case with old wooden cramps and appreciate the ark you showed us as everything bows when pressure applied.

Thanks for another info-packed tutorial. This will come in handy when I make up some panels. You're the best!

I wish this video had come out a week ago when I started gluing up 15 kitchen doors out of 3/4" maple haha, would have saved me a lot of sanding!

Your tips n tricks are awesome! Appreciate this video immensely as about to start a table. Here's to saving me about a week of sanding. I'd say more but I'm headed to Amazon to buy rubber bands.....

as always another great educational video I really like the elastic bands trick

Good info James, I like the idea of the plaining you mentioned 👍👍. Thanks for sharing with us.Fred.

Like the tape idea for medium panels. Always frustrating when you unclamp and find ridges between the boards! Thanks James!

Love this. Making a set today. Thanks!

The rubber band trick is so simple yet genius !!! 😊

Super helpful, thank you!

Great tips Jim!

THank you for all the informative videos...

Best video on this topic I've watched, thanks!

Excellent, thank you!

That Red Wings can holder always brings a smile to my face.

Always an education- thank you!

Thanks, very helpful as always!

James, I'm a huge proponent of Bora's WTX Clamp Edge System. I have all edge lengths, as well as circular saw plate and router dado jig. Best of all, the saw plate also works with Bora's Rip Guide, which I also have. This is the best of all worlds for safely, accurately and quickly breakdown sheet goods; both rips and cross cuts. Not to mention affordably! I always use rigid foam board insulation as a "spoil board"; fully supporting the fibers of the lower face, resulting in perfect cuts every time.

More great info, James. Thanks.

Real nice set of clamps! I like the rubber bands too. Good video.

Thanks for another great tips!!

Thanks for the visual and detailed explanation

thanks for sharing such useful tips

Never mind the notches. Best way of dealing with glue squeeze out is packing tape; neatest, quickest application and most glue rejecting material easily available. Pays to use the thickest, widest high quality clear stuff, rather than the cheesy brown. When Richard Buck at our shop in Boston’s South End came up with that one, it was a major “Doh!” moment.

Well done James👍

Great tips. Thanks.

Great video Mr Nubs!

Thanks for sharing. Good info. Good instruction.

Thank you for this! I'm starting on a desk and have been worrying about making sure the top (65"x32") will be flat as possible. I'll have to give the cauls a try. :D

Thanks for this and all your useful tips. stay safe.

Stumpy, this is off topic, but I used my first Fisch drill bits last week. They were Brad point, not Forster, bits but I was still impressed. Thanks for steering me right.

Super video. Thank you!

Go ahead and draw your line like that, but then plane it down to the line by hand, checking for square as you do it. That's the sort of activity that makes woodworking a pleasure, in my opinion.

I Like that tape trick

Great information. Another useful woodworking video.

thanks for another great tip. 👍🏾

I’ve never used cauls. Great idea. Good timing too, because starting tomorrow I have an 8ft wide bookcase to build, top, bottom,2 shelves, all out of laminated panels, Douglas fir, spruce, douglas fir to create red white red, Canadian eh ;).

You're getting really good.

very good info...Thanks

Thanks for the video.I have been struggling with this problem and I welcome the solution. By the way why is it that no matter how good a video is there are always a small group of people who give a thumbs down?

another great video, thank you.

the wood wizard! love your videos

I save tons of scraps of wood. I use them to prevent my c clamps from damaging projects, propping things up, making shims, beating leather on

Also shims (posit notes,playing cards...) under the cawls. matched wedge pairs under bar of bar clamps to nudge boards in.

Thanks....cheers...rr Normandy, France

Thanks for sharing that

I don't know if this has been mentioned before. All my cauls have blue tape on the edge that comes in contact with the panel. I have used paste wax on the blue tape so it does not stick to the panel or the glue makes clean up real nice and I don't have to notch the calls where the seams are. Thank you very much you have absolutely awesome videos I watch them all the time. I even watch some a second or third time. Keep up the great work I've learned more from your videos than I have just about any other woodworking video.

Easy to find 2 x 4s shaped with an arch in them 75% of the buggers at Home Depot come like that! Just try and find a few straight ones. Good tips sir. I’ve glued up lots of panels but will adopt these techniques in the future.

Excellent video. Now I have a use for that 5 pound bag of rubber bands I bought for a misguided garden project.

Stumpy.. it would seem with all those wonderful planes displayed behind you, using one of them to shape the cauls on the last 6-8" or so to provide the arch, would be easier and faster. There's something magical about using a hand plane. 😀 I absolutely enjoy every video so far. Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise. Note: "re-arrange-a-ritus" was hilarious!

Good ideas for creating the pre-load in the Cauls. Appreciate the tape idea. Always a wealth of knowledge my friend. As for the "Track" saw from Bora. IF you have the ability to bend their ear.....you might want to mention they should really think about creating a base to accommodate a Worm-drive saw. I can promise there are more Skil model 77 out there than any other single make of saw on the market. I have to make some rather long tapers, and looking for something other than a 5' long taper jig for my table saw...guess my 8' level and a couple of clamps will have to suffice.

Instead of masking tape, I just do a few swipes of each end on the jointer. You just gave me an idea though James - you could cut a kerf 1/3 or so in on each end, but shy of the middle. When you clamp each end,, squishing the kerf closed, MORE press would be applied to the CENTER... Interesting eh James? Greetings from Iron Mountain / Dickinson County.

You should have titled this video “Better Cauls Solved” 😂😂

Thanks for the tips. My bell was rung years ago, but definitely a thumbs up.

I often wrap the cauls in foil or cling film (saran wrap) to ensure I don't have to worry too much about glue squeeze-out or drill the things. Provided you wipe off most of the excess after applying the side clamps, it's equally simple to clean up with a scraper afterwards.

Got a recommendation for how much arc/radius to put on a caul for large panels? Say, up to 3 feet wide or as wide of a glue up as you recommend?

An yet again, another great tutorial - your stuff is so very helpful for people learning woodworking! Hope while you are hiding out from the infamous virus, you can make about 50 more instructional videos for us! Stay healthy! By the way, is the finger pretty much healed?

A section of angle iron does the trick...glue won't stick, wont warp, lasts forever. Have the right angle turned up and the two edges on the boards

James - thanks so much for all you do and for our prompt reply to my question. Obviously when you are making panels, the boards need to be as straight as possible. I have 2 questions about "joining" boards: 1. Are there any entry level jointers you would recommend? I have purchased a 6 in Craftsman jointer that is on the way. Bob Vila and a few other sites rate it highly, but other reviews say it doesn't last. Spending $1,000+ for a Jet or Shop Fox jointer isn't part of the plan as I'm saving up for a SawStop. 2. I have a piece of walnut I am trying to get straight to add to a cutting board that's in progress and the uneven-ness down to milimeters as I hold it next to a metal level I have. For the record, I did build a jointer jig sled for my planer that included glued down sandpaper and shims - and like you said, it's "not optimal" lol. After about 2 hours of adjustments and passes and more adjustments I gave up. Do you have any recommended tips or techniques for hand sanding boards to get them straight? It may be time to get out the orbital sander and a 80 or 120 grit disk, but the board is only slighly uneven in about 2 one-inch spots and only a fraction of a milimeter. I can just barely slide a sticky note through in some parts.

Seems like plywood would be a good choice for caul material.

Thanks for the tips. "The Caul of The Wild" R

thin shims and thin wedges under the cauls near non-flush joints for fine adjustments. no need to arc a caul. the underside (the good side) will be forced flushed up.

I am a wood hoarder!

GAAAHHH I literally glued up a wonky top an hour ago. It would have helped to see this first.

Found it!

What are your opinions on 4 way panel clamps? I’ve been considering making some or buying the kits for them since I regularly make cutting boards and panels for flags too.

AN alternative and very easy trick to making cauls with a slight arc to the edge with a hadnplane. It costs nothing. Mark the center of the caul and, starting with the end where you can plane with the grain remove wood starting with long strokes that almost reach the center and successively shorter strokes that start at the end and end farther from the center. You can check the curve with a straight edge if you want. Then for the other end, since you are planing with the grain, start close to the center - about as far away as the work on the other end stopped and successively plane an arc, each stroke reaching to the far end of the board. This typically takes about as long as laying down tape. You can do this for all sizes of glue ups. The reverse of this can be applied to the mating edges of the boards to be glued. It was often used in the past because by starting your clamping in the center the slightly concave edges become "self clamping." The clamp pressure compresses the arc near the center and the boards "want" to straighten out, so there is pressure from the clamped boards themselves near the ends. You need fewer clamps this way too.

Another way to make cauls with a curved edge is to screw them onto a scrap of plywood or MDF. You can put the flush edges up against a fence or other straight piece of something and put a small piece of something an eighth of an inch thick (more or less depending on how much curve you want) between the caul and the straight edge in the middle and clamp the ends of the caul to your straight edge so that when you screw the caul down it will be slightly bowed. Then simply rip an eighth of an inch or so off after removing the clamps, and when you remove the screws you'll have a slightly convex edge on one side of your caul.

You suggested using a sander to reduce a 2x4 while standing in front of a whole rack of hand planes.

One way to get a curved caul is to just buy some of those crooked a$$ 2 x 4's from the borg and cut them in half. the way I curved my hardwood ones was with a jointer. Mark the center on both sides. Cut from center to end both ways. Then make progressively shorter and shorter passes and develop a nice taper both ways. I also made pieces of All Thread to take the place of the clamps. Tighten then with a socket on a drill or impact driver.

This video is a but older but I just saw it today. Do you provide the tape at both cauls (Top/bottom)? What stuff do you put on the workbench to protect it from glue dripping on it?

Timely video. Can I use my domino to help align my boards? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I’m fairly new to woodworking and haven’t done this yet. Thanks.

Good video, but I got a lot of value from the product placement at the end! Gonna start using cheap OSB to support large sheets while I cut them!

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👌👌👌👌

Boiled linseed oil applied to the caul will also keep them from sticking to the glue.

You talk about using hard wood or pine. How about 3/4 inch plywood?

putting a piece of plywood on the call when prevent any deflection of them

Very interesting video. Do you have some kind of rule of thumb to determine how much arc you should give to the caul e.g: 1/16" or 1/32" per foot?