Photo 4- Glue together the laminations using a three inch wide paint roller. Use a lot of glue, and have hot water and rags close by to deal with the mess.

Roll the glue on with 3" wide paint rollers as shown in photo 4. Don't try to clean the roller itself when done, just toss it. Apply a thick layer of glue to all adjoining surfaces as you put the layers together. The bare wood will absorb a lot of the glue as you work since there is much surface area, and you want to be sure that there is plenty there so that absorption does not starve the joint of glue.

Photo 5- Gang clamp the laminations together, then use very hot water to remove as much glue as possible from the outside of the pieces, as well as within the mortises.

Do the four rails together, then the four posts, and lastly the two stretchers. But don't apply glue to one of these three groups until you've clamped up the previous! Place one layer of wax paper between each of the rails, posts, or stretchers to keep them from getting glued together, and clamp up as in photo 5. Lift the clamps 1/2" off the wood so you can clean the glue underneath. Use very hot water to clean off as much glue as possible. It's easier to do it now than later by sanding. Clean out the mortises by placing a rag inside each mortise and moving it up and down as shown.

Brown glue takes overnight to dry in warm weather, and longer in cold weather. When out of clamps, belt sand the parts with a 30 grit belt to remove remaining glue and level out the layers, which won't be perfectly aligned. Then belt sand again with 80 grit and then 120 if you like, to smooth out the surfaces.

Set up a 3/4" wide dado in your table saw and raise it to 5/16" above the table. Use this to cut away around all four sides on the ends of the stretchers to a distance of 8-3/4" from their ends. This, effectively, makes the ends of these parts tenons that will fit through mortises in the posts. Clean up the ugly marks left by the dado with a sharp chisel.

Photo 6- Cut mortises in the posts for the lower stretchers. Mark out the mortises, bore holes within the marks, then clean out the waste with chisel and hammer.

The only mortises you must chop by hand are in the posts for the stretchers. Note the exact size of the stretcher tenons, and mark out the posts at this size. Bore holes within your marks to clear out most of the waste in the mortises, then use chisels to complete them (photo 6). Gradually widen the mortises until the stretchers slide in neatly.

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