I’m planning on making a new dining room table, but not super fancy. I’m going to use walnut for the legs and aprons and white oak for the top. I’ve got a used wooden mechanism to mount under the top to facilitate the addition of a leaf when the table needs to expand. My question to the group is referring to an article from FWW Jan/Feb 2006, Extension Dining Table, it calls for the direction of the top grain running perpendicular to the sides. Part of me agrees with this but another part says I should run the grain the length of the table. What is the popular opinion? Is cross grain more traditional? Pros and cons accepted! Thanks in advance.
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Replies
If you want to put the leaf in and have it be the same width as the main table top halves, you better run the gtain perpendicular to the length of the table. In fact, if you install pins in the leaf and the table halves, if you want them to line up, you need to run the grain of all three pieces the same direction. This is standard table construction for good reason,
I don't think you will find that type of extension with the grain running lenghtwise, that is how they made them.
I think it will look silly if the extension leaves run perpendicular to the rest of the table. There are no hard and fast rules.
Either way works, in my opinion.
Not sure any of them will work unless the center panel is plywood, solid Wood constrained in a tight frame will crack or deform the frame.
Well, they've worked ok for 15 years. Yes, of course, the panels are veneered mdf rebated into a quarter sawn tenoned oak frame.