I’m building an expandable dining table (2 leaves) out of western wild cherry. Because it’s expandable, each side of the table is about 25 inches. I am adding walnut breadboards to each side. and wondered about the need to provide for wood movement of the table top. I don’t plan to allow for movement on the leaves as they are only 10 inches wide. For the top, I plan to solidly attach the breadboards where the two halves join and pin the remainder of the breadboad with bamboo dowels to allow movement. Is this a good plan for beadboard attachment? Or do I even need to worry about wood movement on something that’s 25 inches?
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Replies
You should plan on the 25 inch wide panels moving at least 1/2 inch, and possibly more during very damp or very dry weather, and the 10 inch panel moving around 1/4 inch. If the 10 inch wide panel is restrained it will crack under the right conditions.
You haven't provided enough information about your construction details for me to comment on whether they will avoid stress problems. Personally, I think that breadboard ends, while visually attractive, are more trouble than they are worth.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
Jean,
Lose the breadboards like John W suggested. When you place boards with grain directions perpendicular to one another you are asking for trouble. In the summer the table will be about 1/2" wider than the breadboard end and in the winter the breadboard will be about 1/2" longer than the table with. That is because wood expands and contracts across it width much more than along its length. There was an article about this very subject about two issues back in FW and the author warned about dissimilar dimensions.
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