Like many woodworkers, I use gently curved cauls on panel glue-ups to put pressure on the middle of the panel so that the boards stay aligned while the glue dries. They work well but can be difficult to set up during a stressful glue-up, so I came up with this system.

A threaded rod is fixed in the bottom caul, by means of a locknut mortised into the wood. The top caul slides onto the rod and then is tightened quickly and easily with a shopmade wingnut, made by mortising a nut into a short length of wood.

To use the system I set down two or three of the bottom cauls, apply glue to the edges of the boards, lay them down, and then simply drop the top cauls onto the threaded rods and spin down the wingnuts to tighten them. Finally, I add bar clamps to apply pressure across the panel.

Jim Richey

Jim Richey

William Flather, Middleburg,, PA