I spent the last few days finally putting some finishing touches on my office workbench, and that mostly involved fitting countertops together.
Yes, I finally got around to working on the countertop I talked about nearly two years ago when I asked about making clean corner seams. Between then and now, I simply had two slabs sitting on top of my bench, and it wasn’t ideal.
Advertisement
The seams… well, after a few tries I got a passable mating between the pieces that would fit into the corner. But, the quality of edge fitment aside – I’ll talk more about this another time – I needed a strong and secure way to join them together.
Usually, you can use biscuits, Festool Dominos, floating tenons, or other such means for alignment and strength if you desire to glue wood countertops together for a permanent joint. I might need to temporarily take things apart in the future, and so I didn’t want a solution that involved gluing things together.
I’ve known about Zipbolts for a while, and they seemed perfect for the job. I could use them on their own, or as part of a glue-up to provide clamping strength.
I considered two sizes:
- 81mm connector: requires 35mm x 20mm deep hole (1-3/8″ x 13/16″)
- 100mm connector: requires 25mm x 12.5mm deep hole (1″ x 1/2″)
The 81mm connector is shorter length-wise, but is physically larger. Since I’m working with 1-1/8″ butcher block-style wood countertops, I opted for the larger and presumably stronger Zipbolt connector.
I couldn’t tell you how to pick one size over the other. I bought a couple of both, and ultimately decided that, for me, the 100mm Zipbolt would work better in materials maybe 3/4″ to 1″ deep, given the 1/2″ recess requirement, and the 81mm Zipbolt would work better in my 1-1/8″ countertop, given its ~13/16″ recess requirement. The 81mm Zipbolt connector is larger, with more contact surface area, and so I would assume it provides for a stronger connection.
Advertisement
Installation was refreshingly easy.
You need a Forstner drill bit for the holes, a square or ruler for proper positioning (I used Milwaukee’s trim square), a router with straight-cutting bit to cut the slot (although I’m sure other tools can be used), and a 5mm bit to tighten the ZipBolt.
I marked where my Zipbolts will go, which I decided would be positioned at the center of the countertop depths plus one each at 4-1/2″ from the front and rear edges. The holes are placed ~1-1/2″ from the mating edge on either side. There’s some wiggle room allowed, and you can place the connector components a little closer or further apart if needed.
I had previously purchased a 35mm long-shank Forstner drill bit, and a Rockler Jig It drill guide that I equipped with a 3/8″ stop collar (purchased from an industrial supplier). I checked the drilling depth with digital calipers (the stop collar slipped twice and so I didn’t trust it).
Once my holes were set, I used a compact router with 1/2″ straight cutting bit to make room for the Zipbolt’s threaded bolt. I started with a 1/4″ straight cutting bit, but it didn’t leave much wiggle room for imperfectly aligned holes, and so I went with a 1/2″ slot.
I matched things up and tightened things down with a 5mm hex key. I later used a cordless screwdriver with a 5mm screwdriver bit, and then a ratchet with bit holder for final tightening.
I was worried I’d strip the geared drive, and so I didn’t tighten things down as much as possible, but the seam was pulled closed and tight. Once securely fastened together, fastened the now 3-piece L-shape countertop to the bench.
I didn’t use a store-bought template for creating a jack miter seam (here’s a discussion about what I was going for), and it might have been a mistake. I had to make due with a 1/4″ shank and too-short top-bearing trim router bit because that’s what they had at the home center, and I wonder if I would have had better results with a store-bought template. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one (at least not as reasonable pricing), and my benchtop CNC router is too small to make one of proper length.
With difficulty in getting my seams just right – and there’s no guarantee that simple butt joints would have been any better than the the jack miter – I was worried about how my Zipbolt installation would go. There are templates for creating countertop connector hole patterns, although I don’t know if they have any for Zipbolt specifically.
I don’t want to say it was easy, because I would undoubtedly have had a little more trouble drilling straight holes free-hand without the basic but effective Rockler Forstner drill bit guide, but it was far easier than I anticipated, and with near-perfect results.
I wasn’t perfect with routing my slots either, but the one or two mistakes I made had no impact on the final results.
The 81mm Zipbolts are $2 each at Lee Valley, and with 3 used per mating edge connection, that’s 6 Zipbolts and $12 worth of hardware that went into my countertop.
I was so excited at things finally working out that I neglected to take proper photos. So, here’s Lee Valley’s image of the 100mm Zipbolt connector in use.
So far, my experience with these connectors have been extremely positive, and I’ll definitely use them for future countertop projects and even some other types of fastening needs.
Here’s a quick video that shows how they work:
Blythe
Looks like a good product. I haven’t tried it, but did you give any consideration to the fastcap flipbolt? You had the router out already, and it doesn’t require expensive forstner bits and drill guides
JoeM
I knew I had seen these at Lee Valley! Yeah, I haven’t used them, but I have a desk design I’ve had in the works for nearly 20 years (It’s really big and complex, and I can never get the supplies.) in the making, and these bolts were the key to holding the sections together at one point.
Don’t care where they’re made (I don’t think they’re a Lee Valley exclusive.) they’re really quite awesome!
fred
These look easy to use.
Over the years I have used many different variations on this theme.
For stair rail construction – mostly – rail bolts/dowel screws and ZipBolts
For bed construction: – cross dowels and ZipBolts
for cabinetry – sometimes K&V Tite Joint fasteners
The Lee Valley ones look a lot like one of the Zip Bolt styles:
https://www.amazon.com/Zipbolt-10-800-100mm-Joint-Connector/dp/B07XKB5R7Q/
In recent years – I often rely on dominos, glue and clamps to pull things together – but then you have a permanent joint – which is not so good things like beds – where you may wish to break them down for a move.
In the cabinet shop also sometimes used a Senco fastener called a Senclamp
https://beavertools.com/220101n-senco-sc1xp-7-16in-crown-9-16in-senclamp-fastening-stapler.html
Plain grainy
They have bolt together dominos for the Festool Domino now. They make it so it can be broken down later.
fred
I’ve also seen a variety of biscuit that is 2 piece – locking design:
https://www.burnstools.com/145425-tenso-connectors-p-14-300-pair
I have not tried either
fred
Lamello also sells these:
https://www.burnstools.com/lamello-clamex-p-14-box-of-80-pairs
Ben
The Lamello connectors are cool, but they make the Domino system look relatively inexpensive:
https://www.burnstools.com/lamello-zeta-p2-machine-hw-cutter-case?gclid=CjwKCAjw4MP5BRBtEiwASfwAL9RUTfYAc642cHumFglFrkDMM7R_GdMM-_otbHDLe89k7gaCDVfYhRoCewIQAvD_BwE
1450 bucks just for the tool!
Even if the connectors are cheaper than domino’s, you’d have to do alot of volume to make it worth it.
Stuart
Yes, but they’re aimed at production/commercial users. The last time I checked, I couldn’t find small project-sized quantities. Plus, you need a drilling template and a cutter, both being uni-taskers.
fred
I also recall the guys also telling me that the Senclamp driver had a kick like a donkey.
As I noted (below) most things Lamello are very pricey. When I bought a personal biscuit jointer (aka plate joiner) – over 25 years ago – it was a Dewalt 682. It was quite sloppy compared to the Lamello’s we had in the business – but way less expensive – and serviceable for my purposes.
Shawn
fred: “For bed construction: – cross dowels and ZipBolts”
How did the ZipBolts work for a bed, compared to something like these 5” Rockler bed rail brackets: https://www.rockler.com/5-surface-mounted-bed-rail-brackets ?
Alex Peel
So I just took apart a bed that had something like these for connectors.
The headboard had a threaded insert, not sure what kind but seemed to be just a threaded socket that was epoxied in. Also had two holes in the same plane for dowels. A 4 inchish length of allthread was screwed into this. The cross member had two dowels sticking out and a hole for the all thread. You mated the boards together and the all thread protruded into a circular recess like pictured above but without the channel connecting too it. Then it had a curved washer like the one above and a normal nut after this. You tightened the nut with a small wrench and it made for an extremely strong joint. Very simple and mostly hidden.
Alex Peel
Actually it looks like Zipbolt makes something specifically for this purpose. Not quite the same as what I was describing but very similar.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Zipbolt/BedandTableConnectors_CabinetandFurniture/page/1A3FDB7A-11FF-4A31-86D3-DD8016C2C2AC
Alex Peel
This is what I was talking about.
https://www.rockler.com/bed-rail-connection-system
fred
“There are templates for creating countertop connector hole patterns, although I don’t know if they have any for Zipbolt specifically.”
There are these – but they are really only edge drilling guides
https://www.amazon.com/Railbolt-Drill-Guide-40-260-Certifications/dp/B06Y29JFYR/
https://www.amazon.com/Zipbolt-40-280-Universal-Woodworking-Project/dp/B07P5JYG37/
Justin
I used a form of these to connect a railing in a stairway a few years ago. Kind of spendy but excellent solution to a hard problem.
fred
When you see a vintage (1800’s) house the railings often relied on dowels and glue for connections. With age these “solutions” tend to dry out and split apart.
The next “solution” was to use dowel screws (wood screw thread at one end and machine screw thread at the other) These get screwed into one piece and cross holes in the mating piece allow you to tighten a nut bringing the pieces together. L.J. Smith still sells tools to facilitate making this sort of connection.
https://www.ljsmith.com/installation/installation-tools/
The ZipBolt (Australian Company) approach is a bit newer and somewhat simpler offering configurations for both straight and angled connections
fred
I might have added that Lamello sells a system that they call INVIS MX that uses a rotating magnetic filed to drive the nuts that pull up an embedded connector. I have not seen it in action.
https://www.amazon.com/Invis-6100300-Mx2-Starter-Kit/dp/B00LEVLE0Y#customerReviews
We had Lamello biscuit joiners and I have a Lamello Cantex lipping planer. Based on my experience with these – I’d say the quality is likely to be very good. But like most things Lamello – Swiss precision comes at a cost.
JC
You beat me to it. I was just going to post this. I used this on one project it has been collecting dust ever since. Worked PEREFCTLY. Just not cost effective by any means.
Keith
I used the 100mm zipbolt connector from Lee Valley for a desk and bookcase which I made earlier this year. It worked great, making a nice tight joint between the bookcase shelf and desktop. Highly recommended.
Matt
I used the Knapp Connectors (same company I believe) Zipbolt 90 KD to connect a walnut headboard and footboard to walnut bedrails, they tightened well and have held the bed together solid as a rock, and it’s easy to take apart and put back together. This was after trying no-mortise bed brackets from Rockler which eventually worked lose and bent.
Shirley Lin
They’re made in Taiwan.
Perfect product. Making life easier and solutions.
It makes light work of joints used stair building, Rails, Fittings, Posts and Angles are a breeze. No need to try harder just use Zipbolt.
Nathan
so how exactly is this being used. I’m a touch confused.
is this for connecting the table top to the base, or for connecting 2 slabs together?
interesting idea. 2 drill jigs and done deal.
fred
These embedded connectors are generally used to connect things like 2 slabs (like cabinet/table tops) or two pieces (like stair hand rails ) together. The access holes/channels for the hardware are usually at the bottom of the assembly – so they may be hidden or plugged to hide the hardware.
Stuart
Connecting countertop slabs end to end or end to side.
Nathan
That’s what I was thinking but a touch unsure. I could see someone wanting to use this to join say 3 boards to make a table top too. Don’t think it would be a great use but if you didn’t have a plate joiner it might be economical. with alot of glue
fred
Folks also use these sorts of connectors (without glue) for doing assemblies that may need to be broken down for later transport. That was what Stuart was getting at in his use. In most cases you still need to get the alignment dead-on to avoid having surfaces that don’t mate 100%. That can be true (usually to a lesser degree) with using other joinery techniques like biscuits, dowels, floating tenons (dominos), M&T and splines.
Koko The Talking Ape
Would it make sense to use unglued dowels, Dominos, or biscuits just to align the two slabs? I think I’ve seen people do that before. Maybe the dowels or biscuits could be tapered a bit to fit into the matching holes a little more easily.
fred
Sure – but added steps (dowels, dominos or biscuits) add requirements for more jigs or tools. Biscuit jointers (my Dewalt anyway) is not precise enough to cut multiple slots of precisely the same thickness as the biscuits. (spend a lot more on a Top Lamello if you want precision)
Fence drift on the Dewalt – and even on my Domino XL machine (that’s why I often use a Seneca shim plate instead of relying on the fence staying put) is another issue. That may result in the slots not being precisely the same depth from the top surface.
The usual solution to keeping surfaces aligned is to use 2 clamps – I like handscrews for this – to hold the 2 mating boards together (co-planar) along the joint.
When your pulling together odd shapes (like profiled handrails) – it can get a bit trickier
Nathan
handscrews? not familar with that. Is it a specific type of clamp
Matt J.
Handscrews are the oldschool wood block clamps with two hand-turned screws.
fred
https://www.rockler.com/wooden-handscrew-clamps-clamps?country=US&sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=PL&tid=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpvKOyaaW6wIV9AiICR1bYgGjEAQYAiABEgLwWvD_BwE
Matt J.
I’ve seen these at my local Woodcraft, but every time I’ve had the opportunity to try them, I keep going with the Woodriver dogbone connectors. They’re a bit less convenient, but I can really crank on them without any fear of stripping out gears. They’re also cheaper per unit. I love the idea, but the convenience factor isn’t enough for me as an infrequent user over the more traditional (but still easier to install than traditional dogbone connector) Woodrivers. If I had to do this day in day out, I’d likely feel differently. I’d love to hear someone who’s used them comment on their durability if high clamping force is applied.