 I recently was given a Trend Biscuit Jointer for my birthday and I'm using it to build a tall narrow shelf unit. Rather than make housing joints I'm using the biscuits to locate the shelves. The unit is 2 metres tall and the shelves are only 550 wide and 150 deep and are designed to store DVD's and CD's, so no great stress on the joints. My problem is that I only have 8 cramps big enough to hold the piece together whilst glueing up and it has 12 shelves. I've used 4 no 10 biscuits on each shelf (2 each end)and would like to cramp each shelf front and back (if you know what I mean) but do not have the hardware. Any suggestions welcome. Regards, Malc.
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Malc Try running a decent sized timber along the whole length, both sides and then cramp every other shelf, the timber will spread the load Try it dry first to check if it will do the job Ralph
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 Ratchet straps may be of use here...........just a few pounds and widely available. Or a rope, tied in a loop around the work, then twisted tight with a stick.............I have clamped up chairs and ballustrading around a stairwell using this method. You must remember to protect the corners of the work with both of these techniques, as they put a tremendous amount of pressure on the workpiece. Mike
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.jpg) Thinking along the lines of Ralph's idea, if you taper each length of timber slightly (1mm at the ends from the centre), as you apply the cramps at either end, they will should bring the ends down tight but, because there's slightly more material in the middle, they should also help apply pressure there as well. I know this works well on shorter stuff but, for 2m long... Maybe you could try a couple of dry-runs first and look to see if all the edges butt up to the inside faces.
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 One suggestion would be to cramp half of the shelves in and leave it to dry. Then remove all cramps except the last one used and pry the gables apart and glue and cramp the rest of the shelves in and leave to dry.
Another solution would be to put your cramps on every shelf and a half. You shouldnt need much pressure to pull the gables to the shelves, if your using PVA glue. If using polyurethane glue then you would need a cramp for every shelf.
Al
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 I have heard of a timber product that is sold commercially, that has a predesigned bow in it for clamping in situations like this. It is used as Olly describes. Though perhaps this is where B&Qs bannana CLS comes into its own, & at £1-89 a length it wont break the bank. Baz
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Thanks for all the ideas. I've done the job and is all cramped up on my dinning room floor as we speak. I've combined several ideas: two lengths of CLS, two sash cramps, two strap clamps and 6 of those quick clamp thingies. I found the gluing up and locating all the biscuits a real pain in the **** a job requiring at least eight hands. It is so much easier with traditional housing joints. I can see that my new jointer will be very handy but I'm not sure that it was the right chioce for this particular job.
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Big Al I've not come across the word "gables" in this context before, is that what the ends of the shelf unit are called? Malc.
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Yeah, I dont know why I call the sides/ends gables, I just do.
Al
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The plant on end panels on the sides of kitchen cupboards are refered to as gables. Perhaps the term is used as a gable end is usually on the side of a structure. Baz.
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I don't know about furniture, but obviously the gables on a building are the end walls at right angles to the main run of the roof. It makes sense that the gables on a bookshelf would be the ends............but I've never heard it used for furniture before, but why not use it? It makes perfect sense. Mike
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