Replies

1. 
   galenajoe | Mar 17, 2005 04:48am | #1

   Why not make the center field of the top out of plywood? You could edge it with the 3" solid stock with the mitered corners. Then you would not have the cross grain problem.

2. 
   Pondfish | Mar 17, 2005 05:49am | #2

   Depends on the woods you are using and the way you are joining them.  If you are doing frame and panel construction, it should be no problem, but you will have some small gaps between the woods.

3. 
   Peter36 | Mar 17, 2005 12:48pm | #3

   If you use solid wood for the center panel, any expansion will open up your miters, and any contraction will split the border to panel joints or just split the wood. If you are going to stick with solids, I would make a floating panel and frame, like a cabinet door. This will allow for the expansion and contraction.              Peter

1. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 18, 2005 04:05am | #4

   any expansion will open up your miters....

   Sounds like me and my pants!

2. 
   GCrossland | Mar 18, 2005 05:37am | #5

   Thank you for your response.  I antiscipated ythat answer.  I have one more question?  I wanted the center of the table to be solid walnut.  I wanted to trim/border the edge in Bubinga.  Would it made any differance if I made all of the grain (both Walnut and Bubinga) run the same way and not use Miters.

1. 
   Peter36 | Mar 18, 2005 12:57pm | #6

   You could have all of the grain running in the same direction [this includes the ends where it would normally be cross grain.] You will need to look into the expansion and contraction rates of walnut and bubinga. If they are very different then they will probably still split. You will need to be concerned with the type of cut of each wood [quartered, rift etc, because these all have different exp, con. cycles] And lastlly you will need to check there moisture content to be sure that they are the same. Oh and one more lastly, You will probably need to run a spline or something to join the end grain to end grain. Its probably a lot easier to make a mitered corner frame and have the panel float in it, or even better just use breadboard ends and don't have a miter at all.       Peter

1. 
   GCrossland | Mar 19, 2005 07:37pm | #8

   Thanks for the tips.  I will do a breadboard joint.  Thanks

2. 
   joinerswork | Mar 18, 2005 08:21pm | #7

   GCrossland,

   An alternative would be to use the bubinga as a veneer, and lay a crossband around your solid walnut top.  Run the grain of the veneer either: perpendicular to the edge all way around, or parallel to the grain of the top.  Still pretty risky to run the veneer crossgrain on the ends, in my opinion, though if the top isn't TOO wide, you might get away with it.

   Regards,

   Ray