Good morning gang,

This may be old hat to some, but have a new discovery I'd like to
pass along.

The project is a pair of beds with massive columns for the bedposts.
I'm coopering the columns to gain stability and not waste wood.
Since I work alone, most of the time handling 8 pieces of wood in the
glue up was a big challenge. I remembered a professional friend
telling me of the many wonderful uses for masking tape.

Step one was to line up all the slats face up to be certain the edges
would fit together easily. Slight warp, twist, and mis shape
potentially are difficult in the assembly.

Step two was to run strips of masking tape across the slats holding
them in alignment. I then slipped a piece of tape to the underside
just to help hold the thing together while I flipped the slats to
face inside up.

Step three was to run a line of glue on one of each of the mating
surfaces. I was pretty generous with the glue allowing it to drip
through to provide lots of coverage.

Step four, roll the taped slats up to form the column. Without
bringing the assembly tight, I got a firm wrap of clear plastic
packing tape around the two ends of the column. The brought the
assembly perhaps 90% closed and aligned.

Step five was to go to the middle of the assembly and pulling packing
tape as tight as possible, put 8 or 10 wraps around the middle. I
then checked to see that alignment of the slats was working at the
ends. I had to pull a couple of slats into line. I moved out from
the middle 8 - 10" and put another wrap of packing tape as tight as I
could pull the stuff. There is enough elasticity in it to bring the
assembly as tight as I could have ever hoped for. I continued,
working out from the middle with packing tape pulled tight every 8 -
10" until I was at the ends.

Once it set up, all I had to do was get the tape off and I have
several very nice coopered columns.

Great discovery. Hope it helps someone along the line.

Cheers,

Keith