Chest top glue up

[Randy Blake]

Hi all, new member here. Very good site.

I am in the process of making a blanket chest out of red oak. I need to glue up the top and I am not sure of the board width I should use.

The main chest frame is made of 4" (3 1/4" finished size). Should I use the same or would it be okay to use 6" ?

Thanks Randy

[Bill Huber]

To start with WELCOME to the Creek, its a really great place and you can learn so much from it.

Second, I am just a hobby woodworker so that that in mind when you read my reply.

I think that is up to you and the way you want it to look.

I made an 18" x 24" panel up not long ago with a 6 center board then went to a 4 inch on each side and then a 2 inch on each side, I like the way it looked, it gave it a little style.

But you could do it any way you want, you could make it all with 2 inch, again to me it us up to you what you want it to look like.

[Chris Friesen]

As has been already said, it's up to you. You could go with a single really wide board if you want. (Likely very expensive if you could even find it.)

The main recommendation that I have would be to carefully match the grain where you join the boards. Don't joint straight grain to the middle of "cathedrals" on an adjacent board. Don't join flatsawn areas to quartersawn areas. Try and arrange your pieces for an harmonious layout, even if it means that you have some extra scrap left over at the end.

In the long run, the labour is worth more than the materials so make it as good-looking as you can.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

To me, in using oak the appearance of the grain is more important than the width of the boards. Unless specified, oak will be flat sawn and the grain varies a great deal depending on where it was taken in the log. I have had some boards several inches wide with hardly any grain. Do a layout on your workbench and see what is most pleasing to you or if you have yet to buy it do it at the store or lumberyard if possible.

[gary Zimmel]

Welcome to the Creek Randy...

I agree with the others, the appearance to me is first.

[Randy Blake]

Thanks for the info all.

I still have to buy the wood for the top so I will make an effort to to lay it out in the store.

My main concern was with potential cupping problems but it sounds like I will be okay by keeping it under 6" board width.

Thanks, Randy

[Chris Friesen]

My main concern was with potential cupping problems but it sounds like I will be okay by keeping it under 6" board width.

Don't feel limited to 6" or less, unless that's the limit of your tools. Wider is just fine. If you're worried about cupping you have a few options:

1) Use quartersawn lumber. In oak it looks really nice and won't warp as much as flatsawn.
2) Use breadboard ends.
3) Use a frame-and-panel design.
4) Attach some battens to the underside. This is more common in "country" pieces. It's simpler, but cuts into the chest interior space somewhat.