 How long is long enough? You have enough time and enough space. If you have a table that's separate from the table that you need to eat on. You just leave it there? For weeks and months if you need to. Just don't get too attached to the finished product. A couple times people have asked me what kind of glue can they use, and I shudder. I cringe at that. So have you ever considered requiring a kind of no-glue contract or anything? That's a good idea.