Phil asked:

"So,does anyone have any useful tips or experiences with
long boards?"

I had reason to ponder this point myself recently.  SWMBO admired the Tuscan
sideboard on display at Charles Shackleton's showroom when we stopped by last
summer:

      http://www.shackletonfurniture.com/products/069/069.html

and I'm in the process of building a similar one now in red oak.  I've joined
the two top rails to the sides with through dovetails, the two lower rails
(about three inches from the bottom) with through mortises, and the rails for
the drawer support framework with blind mortises. The piece is 65" long and I've
had ample reason to conclude that  some sort of threshold in awkwardness is
crossed when the carcase length exceeds about 4'. Everything seems to become too
long to handle readily.

I cut the tails in the rails by resting on end on the floor than clamping the
rail in my bench vise at an angle so that the end was at about chin level. I had
to steady the rail with one hand while I sawed the tail or tenon to keep the
board from flexing excessively. The pins were much simpler as the sides are
about 36" high and I was able to clamp them in the vise and easily improvise a
support for the rails when laying out the pins.

Planing the faceframe edges on the sides,  trimming the tenon ends, and scraping
with the case assembled has also been fun. I've been setting the carcase on end
then standing on a little 18" utility table/bench (ordinarily used for sawing).
If I remember what I'm doing I can usually avoid hitting my head on the ceiling
or against a shoplight.

The shooting board which I've been using for quite a while now is only 48" long
so I wound up building a six-footer to make the bottom shelf (poplar) and the
oak top. This was a place that I thought the extra length of a #8 joiner was
useful (sorry Esther, its true).

SWMBO has adopted some new tactics recently. When she stops by to see how the
work is coming, she points at whatever tool is lying on the bench and declares
"I've never seen that thing before, why?" then not accepting whatever
explanation is offered. Often she's correct; the flea markets are open around
here again.

Ed Balko
Middletown, NJ
Toying with the idea of digging a pit under the bench vise