SOLID WOOD TABLE TOPS THAT CAN MOVE

Solid wood table tops are sensitive to changes in moisture content and will grow and shrink accordingly, more in terms of width than length. If you move your table from the rain forest (damp air) to the desert (dry air), its top will shrink. If you move your table from the desert to the rain forest, its top will grow in size. The legs and apron probably won't move correspondingly.

          I have made many tables in my lifetime and my early woodworking mistakes taught me that it is extremely inadvisable to fasten a solid wood table top rigidly to the table’s apron. The table top will move over time and if the movement is significant, it will tear the apron and the table apart, ruining your fine woodcraft. That's why quality woodworking practices require that I make all of my tables with a dado groove on the inside of the apron pieces near the top of the apron, all around. I then manufacture wooden clips in my woodworking shop that will attach the table top to the apron. The clips are screwed to the bottom of the solid wood table top. A “finger” is made by cutting away part of the clip at one end. This “finger” is inserted part way into the dado in the apron before being screwed to the solid wood table top.


          Because the screw holes in the clips vary slightly in position from one clip to the next, I make a habit of marking the clips in numerical sequence with a felt tip pen. I mark the same number under the table top where it will be covered by the clip. This is think-ahead woodworking: The solid wood table top can be removed for refinishing and be replaced with all the screw holes lining up with the clips.

          Movement of solid wood table tops can also be seen in the form of warping or cupping. 1½” x 2” cross bars can be mounted across the grain, under the table. They should be mounted with #14 brass screws screwed into the bottom of the table top. The holes through these cross bars must be slots to allow for movement of the table top. Never glue these cross bars to the table top, because that will restrict table top movement. Three cross bars should be sufficient for the average solid wood table. The cross bars can be easily removed and replaced for table top refinishing.

          Planning ahead to prevent possible disasters in your woodworking projects is not only smart: In the end it can be very economical. The kind of damage wood movement can cause to your woodcraft can necessitate serious repairs, total replacement or even a refund of the purchase price, including shipping. Think of the small, additional woodworking time and effort required to make these simple additions to your woodcraft project a major headache insurance and customer smile preservation. Your wallet and your psychiatrist will thank you!