when a screw up becomes pretty cool

[Charlie Fox]

so i havent made bowties in over a year and only did two then, so i stupidly bulled forward and ended up cutting the hole too big (forgot the bushing). so, since it is the bottom of the table, i decided wtf and used it anyway with a border of tinted epoxy. i think i may does this again on purpose!

now this customer doesn't really want one on the top. since the bottom is the larger check, i am assuming this is of closer to the center/source of the original check and movement, so does anyone have an opinion on wheter one 3/8" bowtie on the bottom should prevent any further cracking? the side without bowtie is the top of course.

this is mesquite at 3" thick, 53" long. dang this is heavy - wide angle distorts it a bit


270899270900270901

[Sam Murdoch]

I'm not really sure of my answer in this case but here goes - The epoxy, though a very tenacious adhesive, will remain flexible and therefore will not secure the check as you intend. The "bow tie" or dutchman glued in properly and registering tightly at all edges would resist the wood movement but the epoxy gap defeats the purpose. I'm thinking you need another dutchman or 2.

[John McClanahan]

That is one nice looking mistake!

John

[Charlie Fox]

thanks sam, understood. 2 more things to consider:

1) from what i have seen with slabs i have worked - a couple of dozen logs milled - most of the checking occurs as the log lays on the ground (i have had no control over this part). the log dries from the ends quickly and checks. once milled into slabs, the slabs can now dry more quickly from all the newly exposed surface area, although i do realize there is more "flow" through the grain to the ends. but my experience with osage orange and mesquite is i get no more checking after milling. i do not kiln dry and cant wait 5 years for a dense slab to dry, and these woods are so dense and tight grained that they just dont move. my pecan however, from my lawn so a lot of water and not "wild", warped a bit as it has dried, but little to no further checking.

2) the legs are 3" thick from the same slab, and will "full mortised" 1-1/4" deep into the bottom, with one leg crossing the check just outside the bow tie. i will then countersink lag bolts from the top into the legs, then conceal with a dowel. these are tight mortises and will be glued in with epoxy with the lag bolts installed immediately. so i am assuming this will add as much and really more than an extra bow tie.

so the $million question, should a bow tie be added to the top?