OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

24542 Joe Usoff <usoff@l...> 1997‑08‑21 Tabletop question & bio

Hi,

I'm in the design stage of a small table/stand and have a question about allowin
g for wood movement. The top is to be square (sides ~20"), with maple in the cen
ter and walnut around the border, something like this:

        ___________________________________
        |                         / |
        |          <--walnut-->            /    |
        |       _________________________ /      |
        |        |                   |       |
        ^   |        |                   |       |     ^
        |   |        |          ^        |       |     |
    walnut   |        |         |        |       | walnut
        |   |        |      maple   |        |       |     |
        v   |        |          v        |       |     v
        |        |                   |       |
        |        |_________________________|       |
        |      /                            |
        |    /      <--walnut-->                |
        | /________________________________ |

The walnut grain runs parallel to the maple grain on the sides, but crossgrain o
n the ends. I would like the ends to be mitered as shown above, but I am concern
ed about the miter joints opening up as the maple in the center expands. Ideally
 I would like the top to be flat, without any gaps (no "floating" panel).

I would like to keep the miter and not go to a staright across breadboard kind o
f end, if possible. I am planning on attaching the cross grain walnut to the map
le with a breadboard kind of joint and pegging it in the middle, but I believe t
hat this will lead to the miter joint being pulled apart. Does anybody know of a
 way of overcoming this or is it simply a hopeless design?

Joe

BIO: I have been lurking around this list for several months now and figured tha
t it was time to say howdy and to seek some advice. A few of you know me already
 and I've been a fairly regular attendant at the Crane's auctions over the last 
few years so you may have run into me there. I am an engineer by day and woodwor
king hacker in my spare time. I am slowly teaching myself how to make furniture 
and my latest endeavors include learning how to carve.

I started of my woodworking ventures making Shaker style furniture since I like 
the clean lines and just as importantly, because it is all very linear and there
fore easier (at least in my mind) to design and build. Lately, I have become mor
e interested in Chippendale and Queen Anne styles which has lead to my interest 
in carving. I haven't yet jumped into doing a fancier piece yet but hope to soon
 (after I pick off at least a few of the SWMBO mandated projects).

Thanks in advance for any helpful information on my tabletop question.



Recent Bios FAQ