[Michael Wurm]

I'm a married 58 yo woodworker, retired/disabled. My thing is the lathe. I love the challenge is working the lathe to diversify and do as many different types of things I can make. I also like sculpture and have taken college level sculpture classes that I did just average. That of course was before I was drafted into the Army way back in 1970, during Vietnam. I've also make many other things of wood. I have a gallery on Lumberjocks.com, and my handle there is Jockmike2.

 

[WoodFinery]

Welcome

I'm a married 58 yo woodworker, retired/disabled. My thing is the lathe. I love the challenge is working the lathe to diversify and do as many different types of things I can make. I also like sculpture and have taken college level sculpture classes that I did just average. That of course was before I was drafted into the Army way back in 1970, during Vietnam. I've also make many other things of wood. I have a gallery on Lumberjocks.com, and my handle there is Jockmike2.

Not so old and ready to go, welcome

 

[xplorx4]

Welcome to the forum Mike, you can find answers here to questions you haven't even thought up yet.

 

[allthunbs]

Welcome to the forum Mike, you can find answers here to questions you haven't even thought up yet.

Hmmmm. what's a "caul?"

Allthunbs

 

[dovetail_65]

There are many "cauls" but a "clamping caul" is this:

http://www.newwoodworker.com/cauls.html

I do not totally agree with this links definition becasue there are plenty of curved cauls that are not used the way he describes. I think a better definition might be:

A device or shaped piece of wood or other material used to spread out the pressure evenly from clamps while gluing something up.

I think a clamping caul has more to do with the pressure being evenly applied than just aligning pieces, at least that's how I always thought of it.

 

[allthunbs]

There are many "cauls" but a "clamping caul" is this:

http://www.newwoodworker.com/cauls.html

I do not totally agree with this links definition becasue there are plenty of curved cauls that are not used the way he describes. I think a better definition might be:

A way(device or shaped piece of wood or other material) to spread out the pressure evenly from clamps while gluing something up.

That's no fair. I was poking fun at what Jerry said. Besides, I don't fully agree with your definition either

"The function of the caul is to ensure evenness of the surface while gluing. It is arched so as to distribute even pressure across the bottom and top surfaces and thus keep all of the glued members equally surfaced as their neighbour. The alternative is the bow, where the edges are pushed in and the centre has no pressure." the dictionary of woodworking according to the gospel of Allthunbs

 

[dovetail_65]

I digress on that then.

What do I call a piece of wood I use to spread out the clamping pressure on a circle than? I am referring to the the piece that goes in between clamps and the piece getting attached to the circle. Like adding an edge on a round table. Table, edge getting glued on, "caul" and then clamps.

I keeping nothing EVEN doing this and just use it so I can use less clamps, I always called it a "caul", maybe there is another name for it?

Still learn something new everyday.

I go with this guys definition here:

http://www.bowclamp.com/about.html


What is a caul?

Caul: A plate or pad (often scrap wood) used as a spacer between clamp jaws and the item being clamped. Cauls distribute pressure and prevent clamp jaws from forming an imprint on the wood.

Nothing to do about keeping anything even.

Its possible this is a regional thing.

Bow Clamp Caul in action:

http://www.bowclamp.com/projects.html

 

[allthunbs]

I digress on that then.

What do I call a piece of wood I use to spread out the clamping pressure on a circle than? I am referring to the the piece that goes in between clamps and the piece getting attached to the circle. Like adding an edge on a round table. Table, edge getting glued on, "caul" and then clamps.

I keeping nothing EVEN doing this and just use it so I can use less clamps, I always called it a "caul", maybe there is another name for it?

Still learn something new everyday.

I go with this guys definition here:

http://www.bowclamp.com/about.html


What is a caul?

Caul: A plate or pad (often scrap wood) used as a spacer between clamp jaws and the item being clamped. Cauls distribute pressure and prevent clamp jaws from forming an imprint on the wood.

Nothing to do about keeping anything even.

Its possible this is a regional thing.

Ok, I just found my reference. It is in Wikipoedia to wit: "A caul is a curved batten, usually used in pairs for applying even pressure across wide workpieces."

I had to go back into the 1800s to find my original reference. There is an historical village on the St. Laurence River between Kingston, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. It is called Upper Canada Village. There is an old woodworker there who does all of the restoration work for Canada's governmental houses. If I remember correctly, he was the one who originally showed me what and how to use a caul. He works in 1867, tools clothes the whole bit. When the shop closes in the fall, he trucks all of his work and tools off to his workshop near Ottawa where he works in the winter.

The blocks that protect surfaces from clamps, I call "clamping blocks." That's a pretty high class name for a bit of scrap wood.

My mind cannot picture what you're saying about the circular table edge though. Could you restate please.

Allthunbs

 

[dovetail_65]

I'll find a picture somewhere.

Here is one small sample.

The outer piece that is white is NOT part of the glue up. It simply spreads the force of the three clamps evenly to attach the two curved pieces(Black and Reddish) together.

The same theory as attaching(gluing) an edge on a disc. And prevents divots from getting on three(maybe 6) places from the clamps getting on the two piece glue up.

 

[Michael Wurm]

Thanks all for the welcome. mike

 

[allthunbs]

Hi Mike: You can tell it's cold weather when we've got time to kibitz about cauls.

I'll find a picture somewhere.

Here is one small sample.

The outer piece that is white is NOT part of the glue up. It simply spreads the force of the three clamps evenly to attach the two curved pieces(Black and Reddish) together.

The same theory as attaching(gluing) an edge on a disc. And prevents divots from getting on three(maybe 6) places from the clamps getting on the two piece glue up.

In this instance, I'd call the white block a block of scrap wood cut to form a mold into which you can bend another piece of wood. In this instance, there is no relationship with a caul, merely a clamping form or a mold.



Allthunbs