Hi everyone,
I could use some help here thinking about wood movement.
I am building a walnut Danish modern dining table after a Niels Møller design in which the table top is captured along both long edges by a vertical skirt (into which the legs are morticed). The top is breadboarded on both ends such that the ends of the breadboards are also captured inside the vertical skirts. Top is 36” wide, so movement is likely.
I can attach the breadboards using dowels in ovalized slots in the tenons to allow the top to expand width-wise relative to the breadboard ends.
But my concern is that as the top expands in width it will push the skirts apart and open a gap between the ends of the breadboards and the insides of the skirts (given that the breadboards will not significantly expand length-wise).
Now, Møller managed to get this design to work. His tables are in Teak (so maybe dimensionally stable enough that this design is not a problem?).
Any thoughts on a) how big a problem this is likely to be, and b) how to address it if it is likely to be a problem.
P.S. is it permissible to post a third-party photo of one of his tables to illustrate this?
Thanks in advance,
-Mark
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