A little cabinet top advise please

[Dave Malen]

Hi,
I'm building a three drawer cabinet. which is the bottom part of a two piece unit. The top of the three drawer cabinet is 1 and 7/8 thick. The top will have two decorative dark walnut bands 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch to match the trim on other parts of the cabinet. It is approx 20 by 36 inches. Here's my question - can I make this top as a "sandwich" of baltic birch plywood and maple with dark walnut trim covering the edge of the plywood or do I have to use solid 8/4 maple? I was thinking of glueing it up with yellow glue orienting the ply perpendicular to the maple. What do you think of this idea? Will it lessen wood movement? Will it stop the maple from cupping? Will it even work? Thanks for your input.

Dave

[Jim Becker]

Dave, I do not recommend any kind of "sandwich" of plywood and solid stock unless the latter is thin veneer. You will have all kinds of wood movement problems...and maple moves a lot. Inlaying a thin veneer band would be my choice after you construct the top of solid stock normally. IMHO, of course...

Oh, and you really shouldn't really have an issue with cupping if your material is dried properly. Further, it will be fastened to the carcass (also taking into account wood movement... ;) ) and that will essentially keep it flat.

[Dave Malen]

Jim,
I guess I'll be going over to Mike Quin's to buy some 8/4 maple. He's not far from you I think. 1654 Dobry road in Yardley.

Dave

[Jim Becker]

Yes, that's not far....'never been there, but several folks have mentioned him.

I think it is good that you are doing this, Dave. You build extraordinary furniture and any compromise in material doesn't make sense to me. Go with the good stuff!

[John Bush]

Hi Dave,
I have a bunch of 3/8" x11" spalted maple(several hundred brdft actually) and was trying to come up with ways to use it and show off the unigue aspect of the spalting. I thought that a table top would be a good application, so I Gorilla glued the maple to a large marine ply piece I had saved and now I have a seasonally recontouring tabletop stored in my sheet goods rack. It moves too much for a tabletop, but I'm thinking of making a barometer out of it. I'd stick to solid stock, as Jim recommended. Besides, it gives you the chance to buy more stuff from a new supplier. Good luck, JCB.

[Dave Malen]

Thanks for your barometer anecdote. I will stick to the solid stuff.

Dave

[Charlie Plesums]

While we are having confession...

I built a bench top. Couldn't decide between MDF for a smooth top, and plywood for strength, so lamingted the two together. Mine is a hygrometer, to maybe go with your barometer. The curvature depends on the humidity and temperature.

I suggest doing shop cut veneers (well under 1/8 inch thick) with the good wood over birch plywood or mdf.

[Jim Becker]

Before I forget...again...the new issue of Fine Woodworking (December 2006 - Page 78) has an article written by Christian Becksvoort that deals with calculating wood movement. While the article is largely focused on cabinet doors and panels, the math still applies to things like table tops. If I'm doing the math correctly, an 18" deep top made of hard maple could move as much as 1/4" in the SE PA area (.0037 x 18" x 4% MC change summer to winter). "Crack" would be the operative word if it were glued to a plywood substrate unless it was thin veneer.

[Ben Grunow]

I have seen mass produced furniture with 2" thick tops made from solid lumber that is glued up. THe joints are staggered between the 2 layers and that seems to me like it would be fine over time- proper drying, grain alternating and finishing of all sides assumed. If you have 4/4 just make 2 tops and glue them up, the only place you might notice will be the end grain. Seems like 8/4 would be worth it for that piece though but its an idea anyway.

[Jim Becker]

Ben, one could use a mitered breadboard ends that float to the rear of the piece to avoid unsightly end-grain from a solid stock glue-up for thickness. They could be attached using normal breadboard techniques or slide on interrupted dovetails like many moldings are attached to furniture my makers such as Christian Becksvoort or Thos Moser.

[Reg Mitchell]

Here ya go try this
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/shrinkulator.htm
Reg