I just ran across these seam levelers that I used to use.  They work great in places that you can't use a seam clamp that self levels.

It is really pretty simple idea.

1. Cut a piece of hardwood or solid surface about five inches long
2. Notch the end to leave space to span the glue seam.
3. Drill hole a bit smaller than the screw.
4. Tap the hole to match the screw.
5. Make sure you use a big enough screw that it will not poke into the material
6. sand the end of the screw round and smooth.

All you need to do is hot glue the leveler down on the low side of the seam.  Tighten the screw until both sides are perfectly flat.

To remove, you can just squirt some alcohol on the hot glue and the piece will come right off.

Dude, one word - Laminate shim - okay, two words.

so this was how Monument tools got started...  just added a little air pressure?

Sometime a shim wont work because the material is bowed. We don't seam on a flat deck, we use horses and stretchers with the material spanning the middle.

We do use shims for the installation.

No, I meant to protect the surface "in case".

Ah yes, we do use a shim to protect the countertop from the screw. Got it.

Andy,

How about this? Half a cheap "C" clamp glued into a hole in a scrap of SS.

I know they work, but it always takes a lot of adjusting and rechecking to make it perfect. I prefer using a melamine board and clamping the material face down. This leaves you with a perfect seam every time and no adjusting. Also, you can sand the squeeze out on the back side with a belt sander. On the face side you have only a few thousandths to sand. This makes the face much easier to sand and keep perfectly flat.

Posted By Dani Homrich on 05 Jun 2010 06:52 PM
I know they work, but it always takes a lot of adjusting and rechecking to make it perfect. I prefer using a melamine board and clamping the material face down. This leaves you with a perfect seam every time and no adjusting. Also, you can sand the squeeze out on the back side with a belt sander. On the face side you have only a few thousandths to sand. This makes the face much easier to sand and keep perfectly flat.

Dani nice trick, what do you do for your seams when installing ?

Dani, do you use a polished finish to the melamine?

Karl

Because I fabricate differently than most I will explain DS in the shop and on site.
First I always design the tops so the onsite deck seam is always over an open cabinet, if needed I will add 12"to16" to the 30" for a return over a Lazy Susan to put my DS over an open cabinet. The reason is it is very easy to add a seam in the shop to save time at the house. If the deck seam is over an open cabinet it is very accessible. I always clamp my DS in the shop face down so I don't need to flip the deck to add the sink or edges.

Shop DS clamping



This is face side view with my seam alignment blocks to keep everything flat and level. This top is 30" wide so I used 4 blocks, I only use 3 on a 26" top.



I always bond the seam block in the shop, I find them to be a hassle onsite.



On site I clamp the seam block to the adjoining deck through an open cabinet, because I am actually clamping the block to the deck this gives you a better bond than trying to use shims under the top the way most are install. Also I only clamp the side of the seam block to be bonded.



For long DS I do it a little different I use longer seam blocks on one deck and short ones on the other to give a tongue and grove alignment method.




 

  







 




 

This is how the top goes together on site. everything is flat and level.



This is the finished top

Posted By Tom M on 06 Jun 2010 01:55 PM
Dani, do you use a polished finish to the melamine?

Tom,

Standard cabinet melamine, I use Panolam, but any will work. Note: you need to lightly wax the joint area on the melamine to act as a release agent. I use Johnson's past wax. Always wipe the wax area with a clean rag to remove any excess wax, because you don't want that to get into your joint. Also push the seam together by hand slowly first before clamping, you don't want to trap any air in the seam on the melamine side or you will get a small void.

I like that c-clamp idea. Probably better than drilling and tapping the hole. Yours would cost a bit more unless the clamps were sitting around.

Dani, great work, thanks for sharing your tips and photos
 

Dani...  That is one cool looking setup.  How would you deal with sheets being different thicknesses? I work with mostly LG and I run into varying thicknesses all the time.
If the sheets vary just a hair, before I could wipe off the paste wax, I could have my Paraligns set??
 
BTW... My LG rep was showing me their new colors.. and telling me how hard it might be for some of the fabs to get a good finish on them. I took a sample, a little of your "Perfect Finish" and in now time he said " it's really that easy?"

Andy, last time I bought a c clamp that small it was about a buc.

Posted By Kelsey Crisp on 07 Jun 2010 07:09 PM
Dani...  That is one cool looking setup.  How would you deal with sheets being different thicknesses? I work with mostly LG and I run into varying thicknesses all the time.
If the sheets vary just a hair, before I could wipe off the paste wax, I could have my Paraligns set??
 
BTW... My LG rep was showing me their new colors.. and telling me how hard it might be for some of the fabs to get a good finish on them. I took a sample, a little of your "Perfect Finish" and in now time he said " it's really that easy?"

Kelsey:

Let me tell you what I know Dani is going to say. The beauty of his system is that you always clamp finished surfaces flush, wether to melamine or with the notched clamping block. The sheet thickness difference always appears on the back side and is easily blended with sanding.

On the island top shown, either adhere the support block to the thicker sheet or pass half the support block through the table saw before adhering and shave off a poo. The adhesive fills any gaps.

Joe

We totally do the "shave-a-poo" on the seam strip.   That with the  "Paralins" never a worry.  Just a little wiping up and  buffing    aka  " a vigorous circular motion".

Ooh, a Zappa reference!

St Alphonzo would be proud of thee.