Wood Movement (very long... a question at the end)

[Don Sforza]

Several months ago, I got a brainstorm to replace an island countertop with wood. SWMBO and I decided that cherry would be the choice, and since I had enough cherry knocking around...

It took about a month (part time when I could find the time) to finish the counter top. I used the very best of methodology to match the boards, biscuits to help with the alignment, alternated grain patterns, did the glueup in two stages, and used a breadboard edge. The field is 3/4"... most of the boards are 4-5" in width; I banded the edges with 1 1/2" and the breadboard edges are 1 1/2". Maximum width is 24"... 42" long. I only glued the very center of the breadboard edges, using dowels in elongated holes on the edges... Thank God.

After being installed since January 5th or so, the field has shrunk fully a

1/16", leaving the breadboard edges "hanging in the breeze. I don't find it objectionable, but I'm having to do "lot's of 'splainin' " about "what happened here?".

It's almost March here in Connecticut, and admittedly, my house is pretty dry (not much drier that my basement, where the cherry had been stored prior to milling), but with central air conditioning that fires up as soon as the weather gets warmish (allergies, etc.), I'm wondering how much of the 1/16" I'll recover over the summer. Will it close up? Or, I'm I faced with trimming the breadboard edges (and refinishing them!!!) because the field doesn't recover fully? Or am I being anal, and should I just leave well enough alone?

BTW, the island top looks fabulous!!! I gave it a two day suntan, and then finished with 2 coats of Danish oil to snap the grain; about 6 coats (top and bottom!!!) of dewaxed Platina (1# cut) to level the surface (wiped on) and 5 coats of wipe on poly... rubbing with either 400 grit or 0000 steel wool between every coat of oil, shellac and poly. Whew! Getting darker by the day.

[bridgerfafc]

leave it alone for a couple of years. then you'll know what it needs.

[Andy]

Um, if you want my opinion... Just enjoy your beautiful new countertop and don't stress about the edges that are functioning like they're supposed to. Some friends of ours have a fairly new Stickley coffee table with breadboard ends, and the ends of the breadboard ends stick out at least 1/8" in the winter. So if you accept that Stickley is some of the better mass-produced furniture available today, relax and know you're at least as good as they are. Andy

[Larry W]

Coincidence? it is almost March here in Maryland too!

What you have described is normal behavior for breadboarded ends on a solid wood slab. You may even find that at some humidity level, the slab becomes _wider_ than the breadboard end. I would leave it alone; when the humidity rises enought that the width of the slab again matches the ends, point it out to SWMBO and ask "What was that problem you were talking about?"

[charlieb]

And THAT'S why Greene & Greene, Stickley et.al. used those "rounded edged and stepped/cloud" partially exposed ebony splines - to protect that sharp exposed corner of the bread board ends AND visually make it less noticeable. Dem guys was downright clever.

Not too late to add them - if you're willing to risk routing a groove for them to slip into.

charlie b

[Peter Huebner]

All I can say is: I feel vindicated. I have always refused to put 'breadboard ends' on anything other than (veneered) mdf panels.

Just as well you had anticipated what might happen! Good on yer, as they say Down Under.

Funny aside: I was in a workshop(seminar) once and this guy related how he had laminated a dining table, parquet style, in a heringbone pattern and then put breadboard ends on it. One night it exploded .... shrapnel all over the living room! Hard to credit ;-)

-Peter

[Swingman]

As a dinner guest last night I ate on a beautiful handmade pecan table with breadboard ends that were "hanging" a full 1/4" proud of the top.

I explained to the only one who remarked upon it (out of earshot of the hosts) that it was a built-in "dynamic feature" that was doing its job.

I wouldn't worry about it. CharlieB has given you the solution, which was designed to draw attention away from the visual impact, a la Greene & Greene et al, should you really wish to do something about it.

[Don Sforza]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I'll leave it as is and let the next owner fret over the "dynamic feature".

And yes, I realize it's almost March almost everywhere... even Canukistan.

Don Sforza (reply to djsforza at snet dot net)

[Pat Barber]

This may be one of the best replies that I have seen in many moons.

I almost lost my diet Mountain Dew.

Larry W wrote:

[alexy]

Showing my ignorance here... Do you have any cites to an explanation or illustration of the "rounded edge and stepped/cloud" splines to which you are referring?

[Swingman]