Face gluing different kinds of wood together...

[Harold Burrell]

I am planning to build a BIG table. The table will be of the country/farmhouse styling and the top will be oak. The top will also have to be thick (2+").

However...given the size of the table (10' long)...I was wondering about what you all thought about face gluing oak to, say, pine? Would the two different types of wood expand and contract at the same rate? Or am I just asking for trouble?

Thanks...for answering my stupid question...

And for not laughing at me. :o

[Chris Hedges]

Not a good idea. Expansion and contraction rates are two dissimilar. You need to find woods that have very similar movement values. Do your self a favor and get one of these handy things http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&cat=1,46096,46109&p=46281 and a good moisture meter...

Chris

Althoug, you may consider grain orientation as an equalizer since quarter sawn moves less...

[Jim Matthews]

I suggest you consider laminating the top with boards that have been resawn and reglued with opposing grain.
To make this most effective, you would want boards that are quartersawn, or nearly so.

Select your favorite "show faces" and resaw them in half. The half that doesn't show is flipped along its short axis so that the grain patterns are opposed before regluing.
This will make for a very stiff board, without the extra thickness. You could then trim out the apron to make the top appear thicker.

230261230262 The first diagram is self explanatory. The idea is to reglue you tabletop with the herringbone pattern shown between the 2nd and 3rd laminations (12345)

I have used this method since seeing a FWW video showing Gary Knox Bennett building a trestle table. The resulting boards are amazingly stiff, and seasonal changes to twist or cup are neutralized by opposition.

[Tom Fischer]

Really don't know why you need any kind of laminate. It's a table, all four sides free.

I would be more concerned with the lumber being FULLY acclimated to the place where the table is going. Assuming the stock is stable (kiln or air dry), I would put the 8/4 boards in that room for 4 weeks, then make the table top.

I made a window seat last year for the DW, 150" long X 22" wide. Black Walnut, air-dried. I slotted the screw holes through the poplar frame extra wide. The window seat is free to slide.

No problems. Everything is dead flat.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6223/6271501218_9d99308e61_b.jpg


http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6270975421_b25eb9bdbd_b.jpghttp://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6270975421_b25eb9bdbd_b.jpg (http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6270975421_b25eb9bdbd_b.jpg)