I am designing a cabinet that will sit diagonally across the corner of a room. I want the cabinet to have two small side “wings” that will allow the cabinet to meet each side wall at a 90 degree angle, and then each intersect the main cabinet diagonal at 45 degrees. Each wing will be approximately 18 inches long, and the diagonal run will be approximately 6 feet. Cabinet is 24 inches deep.
My plan is to make a solid wood top that follows the cabinet run, with dowelled butt joints connecting then 6 foot main section to the portions of the top covering the wings, so that no end grain is exposed at the face of the cabinet. Will this arrangement allow seasonal expansion and contraction of the wood top? Any advice is appreciated.
Replies
If you want the depths of the cabinet to be uniformly 24", in both the main section and the wings, then the miters have to be cut at 22.5°. If you do that, then yes, the pieces on either side of the joint will move together, and a doweled butt joint will work fine. See attached sketches.
-Steve
Good comprehensive reply, Steve.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
If I'm following your description correctly, the butt joint will be end grain to end grain and shouldn't create any problems. The entire top however will be expanding and contracting and that will have to be accounted for in attaching it to the cabinet below.
Also, where the wings come up against the wall you will have movement.
John White, Yestermorrow School, Waitsfield, Vermont
Steve:
Many thanks for your response...your first diagram is exactly what I intended. Good to know it should work well. And John, I took for granted that the attachment to the cabinet would allow for movement, but it is an important consideration. Thanks for chiming in.
Chuck
If the design is like the "good" design in the other posting the angle between the sides will become slightly more or less than 90 degrees when the width of the top changes with the humidity.
John W.
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