Hello Gary,
Thanks for your time,
Long story short. I received a commission to build a 4’X8′ table for a university chem. lab. The top will be made out of 70 yr. old maple slabs ( glued up like a bowling lane )recovered from the recent demolition. The architect wants cherry strips ( 3/8″) inlayed in the top. 2 strips with the grain and 3 across the grain. The architect insists there wont be a problem gluing the inlay across the grain, but it doesn’t set too well with me. I feel I need to cross cut the inlay pieces, or it will eventually self-destruct. Am I wrong? I value your expertise in this matter and any help you offer will be very welcome.
Thanks again.
Best regards,
Sean Glaser, Springdale Arkansas
Replies
Sean,
And usually I consider architects to be intelligent folk. Well most of them are still trainable. If yours is not, then do the work with a giant disclaimer attached to it.
Please tell your architect that wood moves. It continues to move. It will not stop moving because it is hygroscopic. It reacts with moisture in the air, water splashed onto chem. lab counters, etc.
Because a chunk of wood is old does not change its nature. As nicely as you can, suggest to this designer that here’s an opportunity for him to really show his stuff. Forget the 4' lengths inlaid cross grain. Bust them up into 3" to 4" sections interspersed with diamonds or dots or something significant like a nuclear energy symbol. In conditions like a lab, I don’t think cross grain inlay will hold up well over time. Best of luck. Gary
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled