A sure fire way of using hhg for joining the top

[Bryan Bear]

I'm with Chuck. The stretched tape method is fast and the glue line is invisible. As for storing multiple glued tops, this is where it really shines. Once you get the book pressed down and tape you can put the top anywhere you want. I usually just prop it upright against the wall so it can get air flow on both sides.

[Markus Schmid]

Marcus, I've never had to heat a top/back joint done with tape, because the method aligns the joint along its length and brings the faces together perfectly every time. There is plenty of time to adjust the tape by playing with the plates as a book prior to applying glue.
Once you apply the glue, it is seconds (as in 2 seconds) before the joint is closed, so there is no danger of the glue jelling. None.

And you can stack these very easily if you want to do a batch of glue-ups. With some stickers, I could do 100 easily in my shop - probably many more.

Do you know the method we are talking about??

Thanks for you kind closing question. Yes of course I have, maybe more often than you, and also in other shops than mine, under a variety of different conditions you apparently can not even imagine (sometimes much less than 20°C/68°F, and/or much dryer than 40% RH, and/or drafty rooms). I ended up with a method that works under all conditions.

[Todd Stock]

Let me begin by sharing a short anecdote...no s&^t, there I was, knee deep in hand grenade pins, almost out of ammo, water, and daylight, and the only thing I had in abundance was incoming fire. As I warmed the last of my stash of fresh hide glue on the still smoking barrel of my Mk. 13, the approaching dust storm began to blot out the until-then merciless sun, blowing eddies of debris across my expedient work surface (the stacked bodies of my enemies supporting a repurposed interior door), where I had used 100 MPH tape to prep my top and back plates for glue-up.

You guys were saying?

[Bob Gramann]

That's why you never criticize another's product. You don't know under what conditions he had to work. Before that anecdote, I had never considered using explosives to cut soundholes.

[Chuck Tweedy]

I'm ... not sure what it going on here now

[Todd Stock]

[Ryan Mazzocco]

I'm ... not sure what it going on here now

...But I like it!

[Bryan Bear]

I'm ... not sure what it going on here now

Are you telling me that a man who sprays shellac (gasp) is put off by someone cutting soundholes with carefully placed charges? I hope you never stop by my shop when my trained beavers are doing my brace carving for me.

[Chuck Tweedy]

un-invited when trained beavers are at the party - story of my life.

[Bryan Bear]

<wry smile>

[Clay Schaeffer]

Really Chuck,
Spraying shellac isn't much different than spraying with a 50 cal., and all the green gun tape shouldn't be wasted on patching helicopters - let's give lutherie it's due for solving the world's problems.

[Simon Magennis]

Tape it with one side propped at an angle. ...

What kind of tape do you use? I have never done it this way but it makes a lot of sense. I use the bench vice and a narrow board to hold the plates down. I offset the plates so I can find the join. Works for me. It's about the only significant job I still do with titebond.

In Romanillos' book about Torres, he talks about Torres wetting the top to rim joints with alcohol and lighting it to reactivate the glue. …...

Jump to about 1.30 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtHi4iEL40 More pyromania from Scotland.

[Bob Gramann]

I use the 3M 633+ 2" wide. It's green and I get it at the auto parts store. On one side of the plate, I cut off the corner--just bigger than a nick--so I can find the joint later.

[Ryan Mazzocco]

I learned the tape method a few years ago from this Chris Paulick video. I love it. it is effective, efficient, easy and quick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwjsIp44z3k

[Simon Magennis]

I use the 3M 633+ 2" wide. It's green and I get it at the auto parts store. On one side of the plate, I cut off the corner--just bigger than a nick--so I can find the joint later.

With 2" tape, I assume you just run one long strip along the joint, rather than multiple pieces across the joint? 3M isn't common here but I guess almost any tape will do.

[Bob Gramann]

Yep, a long strip. With one side of the plate laying flat on the table and the other supported on a block so it sticks up at an angle. I stick the side edges of the tape first with the center forming a bridge over the bend. It stretches the tape as I push the center down to stick.

[Simon Magennis]

Thanks Bob, I'll give it a shot. 3M isn't common here, so I'll experiment a bit.

[Chuck Tweedy]

Guess I'm a belt and suspenders kinda guy.
I do strips across (like in Chris' video), then I run a piece along the joint.
I flatten it out and make sure the strip pulls the joint into good alignment, and that there is nothing in the joint.
Then glue.

[David King]

I use the freezer/binding tape for book-matching veneers and it's great for that. I can't think of anyone in this neighborhood who uses tape for a top or back seam. I've only ever seen the wedges and rope with a minimum of three.
I got these flat bar clamps at harbor freight years ago and I use them for all sorts of edge-glueing jobs because they are so quick to work with:
http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-cl ... 66126.html

[Todd Stock]

1" filament-reinforced tape (aka, strapping tape)...cheap, strong, right amount of stretch, with a single strip of Scotch delicate surface blue down the face of the seam to keep adhesive from flowing through when the hot hide is applied. Or 100 mph tape...