Replies

1. 
   joinerswork | Jul 05, 2007 04:35am | #1

   willy,

   If the top of your old table is solid wood, it has swelled and shrunk every year.  Either the top is attached in such a way that this movement has not been restricted, or the top is not solid wood.  Maple is a wood that moves a lot seasonally. 

   Many tables from the 50's were made of "lumber-core" plywood.  That is, the top is a "sandwich", made up of a solid wood core (meat), that is covered on its top and bottom sides with a pair of veneers (bread), which hold the core from moving with seasonal moisture changes.  Sometimes it's hard to tell this product from solid wood, especially if the edges of the top are molded or otherwise treated to disguise the veneer edges.

   In allowing for expansion/ shrinkage of a solid wood top, an eighth of an inch per foot of board width isn't too much.  I like to stop the aprons slightly short of the edges of the top where they meet in the center of an extension table.  That way, they won't bump together before the tops, in the winter when the top is at its narrowest. The small gap isn't objectionable if it is consistant on both sides.

   Ray

2. 
   oldusty | Jul 05, 2007 05:58am | #2

     willy ,          Are you sure the top is solid ? Or as Joinerswork mentioned could it be otherwise ?

        How is the apron fastened to the underside of the top ? the holes could be elongated or blocks with a groove in the apron to keep the top flat and allow for some movement .

       When you say there is no crack do you mean the table does not open for a leaf ? or is it one piece ?

          dusty

1. 
   willy | Jul 05, 2007 05:30pm | #4

   It is a solid maple extension table - - produced by a top manufacturer at that time. When I say "no cracks", I'm refering to the two halves of the table. Each is as flat as the day we purchased the table. Yes, dusty, the top is attached to the aprons by screws in elongated holes.There must be sufficient movement within the holes to allow for expansion!!!

3. 
   ring | Jul 05, 2007 07:24am | #3

   As usual, Ray's post went right to the heart of the matter. I seriously question that your maple top is actually solid...have a closer look.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

4. 
   YesMaam27577 | Jul 05, 2007 06:53pm | #5

   and the top is attached to the aprons with NO allowance for expansion....

    

   I'm going to take a guess here...... I'm betting that the top is attached with no allowance, but only attached on two opposing aprons. Not on all four.

   Wood expands in the direction perpendicular to the grain lines a great deal. But insignificantly in the direction parallel to the grain lines.

    

    

    

   Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.

1. 
   willy | Jul 05, 2007 07:17pm | #6

   Being an extension table, there are three aprons on each half to which the top is attached. On the end apron, running with the grain, there are three screws and on the two side aprons, there are two screws on each. Evedently, there is sufficient leeway in the elongated screw holes to allow for expansion.

5. 
   doorboy | Jul 05, 2007 08:12pm | #7

   Willy,
   To answer your question: an amateur-or professional- WILL allow for expansion. There's a few ways that you can do it. KV makes a table top fastener(#KV323) that works nicely. The figure-8 desktop fasteners might work-(KV1547). A lot of woodworkers make their own angled cleats or tongue and groove blocks to accomplish this. The best article I have ever seen on this matter is in Fine Woodworking #163. All the answers are there.

   "She wrote a long letter, on a short piece of paper." Traveling Wilburys