18
votes
Accepted
How is it possible to let wood reach equilibrium moisture content?
In such a wildly changing environment, how is it actually possible to let wood reach its EMC, or is the advice misguided, and does it not actually matter?
It does matter, and the moisture content bit ...
- 12.1k
14
votes
Accepted
which direction does wood expand?
Wood is made of fibers. Think of wood as a bunch of soda straws or flexible rubber tubes bundled together. When you add water, the fibers expand to hold the extra water. When it dries, they ...
- 8,036
12
votes
Accepted
How does one properly mount a breadboard end?
I can think of a couple options for mounting a breadboard, which you will have to adapt to suit your tools and skill set:
Use biscuits to join the breadboard to the rest of the top (not necessarily ...
- 12.1k
9
votes
which direction does wood expand?
In which direction do wood boards expand?
Short answer: across the grain.
Wood does move along its length but the amount is negligible and can almost always be ignored.
This has been posted ...
- 63.5k
8
votes
How is it possible to let wood reach equilibrium moisture content?
There are many techniques for designing a piece of furniture that will not tear itself apart with environmental fluctuations, but the key point you're missing is that you ideally want to work the wood ...
rob♦
- 18.7k
7
votes
Accepted
How can I fix warping on board made of glued 2x4s
This is not really an answer but a large comment that could point out several pitfalls that could have brought you to this point. I am not sure of the best advice for your situation as the warping ...
- 20.1k
7
votes
How is it possible to let wood reach equilibrium moisture content?
To warp or to twist, that is the question
It is extremely important to let wood sit for a while in the environment it is intended to be used in before using it for a project so that it reaches ...
- 1,005
7
votes
Do pocket hole screws allow for proper expansion and contraction in planked table tops?
Do pocket hole screws allow for proper expansion and contraction in planked table tops?
It completely depends on where they're sited. They're perfectly acceptable in some places and utterly wrong in ...
- 63.5k
7
votes
Accepted
What is the proper humidity for a shop and how should I achieve it?
There's a lot written about the ideal conditions for the workshop but you have to be careful about the source since the figures quoted aren't as universal as sometimes implied or stated, some sources ...
- 63.5k
7
votes
Why does my teak dining table have splits?
The top is attached (at least in part) using buttons, although it's hard to tell what's going on with the cross-bracing framework. Buttons are one of the established ways of allowing for seasonal ...
- 63.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Should breadboard ends be quarter sawn or plain sawn?
I'd say go with quarter-sawn ideally.
Quarter-sawn wood can be relied upon to be much more stable, but it must be said many a breadboard end has been made from plain-sawn wood that has held up well ...
- 63.5k
6
votes
Accepted
How can I create a planked wood table top with a plywood core?
I was wondering how I could make a table similar.
You can't really, and shouldn't try. Making a table that looks similar is easy enough, but actually laminating solid wood to plywood is inherently a ...
- 63.5k
6
votes
How can I create a planked wood table top with a plywood core?
There are several issues to address in fabricating such a table top.
First, as you pointed out is wood movement. The plywood base will not have any appreciable movement in either direction while the ...
- 8,129
6
votes
Accepted
Do pocket hole screws allow for proper expansion and contraction in planked table tops?
will pocket hole screws allow the table to expand and contract as it is supposed to?
I'm assuming you built something that was fastened together along the lines of this
(source)
where you used ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
How is it possible to let wood reach equilibrium moisture content?
I believe that the main problem with your question is assuming that the wood moisture content can change in an instant. This is not the case. Wood fibers do reach a moisture equilibrium with the ...
- 3,375
6
votes
How can I fix warping on board made of glued 2x4s
I know cheap construction 2x4s can warp
There are multiple possible causes for distortion in a glued-up panel like this. Often more than one of them are to blame, although there may be one major ...
- 63.5k
6
votes
If I mill / surface my own wood, will it warp as bad as pre-milled / surfaced wood from the store?
Short answer, yes you can get your wood more straight than you will find at the box stores, and even from your hardwood dealer.
It would stand to reason, as you say that they should be able to ...
- 1,828
5
votes
Accepted
How can I keep a cedar tree round from checking?
To repost and add to my response to your previous question:
You will likely not be able to prevent checking and cracking of this piece as it dries. You have different rates of shrinkage depending on ...
- 12.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Is this cedar planter box design asking for problems w/ wood movement?
You're right to check about wood movement with the vertical orientation of the boards on the sides, which orients the longitudinal grain horizontally (not vertically as you'd see in traditional chest ...
- 63.5k
5
votes
Accepted
How can I design a large speaker cabinet to come together square and true when my panels aren't flat and my boards aren't straight?
In my view this is a question of "Do I control my materials or do they control me". Your concern that your warped pieces may not meet well is valid. Every project should begin with a plan for what you ...
- 8,129
5
votes
Accepted
Can I use pine and poplar together in trim?
Every piece of wood will expand and contract at somewhat different rates. Even two pieces of pine from the same tree will likely be different.
Old furniture (like a chest of drawers) used to be made ...
- 6,236
4
votes
Is making a breadboard table top using just pocket joinery asking for future problems?
Expansion/contraction-wise, I do not believe that securing of the five boards running end to end will cause a problem. This is basically the same condition as if they were glued together, their ...
- 8,129
4
votes
Accepted
Wobbly table - maybe an easy fix
Based on a wobble going toward the black chair, then yes, the triangular braces between the table top and the legs will resolve the wobble.
Smaller braces would be better from a design perspective, ...
- 6,236
4
votes
Is sealing wood with urethane or the like enough to avoid wood movement?
A finish is not a hermetic seal. It may slow wood movement; it will not prevent wood movement.
Humidity matters much more than temperature.
- 9,171
4
votes
Accepted
Epoxy resin and wood movement
Will there still be wood movement after the epoxy has cured?
Yes, some at least (assuming the underside is not sealed).
What will happen if there is wood movement?
It depends on many factors, ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
How to deal with wood expansion when combining with a steel frame?
For the sake of argument, say we're building a metal and wood box where the metal comprises the frame of the box, but the wood comprises the panels (and assume that we're not using plywood or some ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
How is it possible to let wood reach equilibrium moisture content?
Just a simple note on your climate data: it is for outdoor. Since most of wooden furniture will sit indoor, you have to calculate for indoor climate. Which - thanks to heating and A/C - will pretty ...
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
Replacing top on particleboard desk with solid wood - allow for movement? Bad idea?
You are correct to worry about wood movement. A solid wood top it will move along it's width (in this case from the front to the back of the desk) with seasonal humidity changes. Particleboard is a ...
- 5,490
4
votes
Accepted
Table top attachment with aprons on only two sides
I wouldn't use Z-clips, they allow minimally for movement in the orientation needed here. Instead you want my favourite metal tabletop fastening option:
These are retailed under various names, I know ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
Are these cracks in this pergola of Nordic Pine wood something to be concerned about for use as a base for synthetic ceramic roof tiles?
Are the cracks something to be concerned about for structural soundness?
I want to reassure, and as @bowlturner says in a Comment, large beams do crack/split all the time. Even major structural ...
- 63.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible