# Do I need to Worry about Wood Expansion?



## sailmike (Jun 7, 2011)

I'm planning to buy a miter lock bit next week to make drawers and boxes. I have a book that explains how to setup and use this bit. My first project will be a simple box made out of 1/2" baltic birch plywood for my scrap wood. I'm wondering about the expansion and contraction of wood and when to worry about it. If I do need to worry about it, then how do I take it into account?


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Kind of depends on what you're going to use the boxes for and where they'll be used, but just general box making expansion shouldn't be a huge problem if you're joints are good and tight and glued up and clamped up right.. Plywood is pretty stable stuff for the most part..
I've made a bunch of boxes with simple butt joints even and haven't had one fall apart yet. Generally speaking most wood glues tend to be stronger than the wood itself after it sets up and dries if you clamp it correctly..


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Worry about movement with plywood? No, you dont need to. Yes, plywood does technically move, but the amount is negligible and a complete non-issue for anything youll be making from wood.

Solid wood, however, moves, and pretty drastically depending on the species. When working with solid woods, you do need to consider that the pieces will expand and contract with changes in moisture content. How you take that into account depends on what youre bulding


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

You don't need to worry about wood movement. You need to worry about plywood ruining your new router bit. The glue lines on the veneers on plywood really wear badly on a router bit.


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## highfigh (Oct 8, 2017)

sailmike said:


> I'm planning to buy a miter lock bit next week to make drawers and boxes. I have a book that explains how to setup and use this bit. My first project will be a simple box made out of 1/2" baltic birch plywood for my scrap wood. I'm wondering about the expansion and contraction of wood and when to worry about it. If I do need to worry about it, then how do I take it into account?


I would think about using this bit- it's less likely to cause the edge to rise and it's easier to set up. 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-...MIl-3ClJev1wIVF5N-Ch1MwgcHEAQYBCABEgL9ZvD_BwE

You can also use a table saw for these joints- the link shows how to do this and it's a time-proven method. 

http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/jointing-and-planing/lock-rabbet-drawer-joints

I built my kitchen cabinets and used Baltic Birch for the drawers and used a simple rabbet joint (with brad nails to hold them as they dried)- I built a mock-up before to test it and it was strong enough, assuming nobody slams the drawer shut- I didn't use soft stop slides.


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## sailmike (Jun 7, 2011)

Alright, suppose I was making a drawer with two or three different kinds of wood and that I lived in the Florida Keys. How would I make it then?


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## canarywood1 (Jun 9, 2016)

You would make it like any other drawer, wood movement is across the grain, very little with the grain so joints should stay tight if properly made, remember your using fairly narrow pieces of wood to begin with, so minimal movement will occur.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

sailmike said:


> Alright, suppose I was making a drawer with two or three different kinds of wood and that I lived in the Florida Keys. How would I make it then?


Unless it's green wood you could make a drawer out of five different species of wood and it wouldn't matter even living in Florida. The only way you might have issues is if you moved from Florida to Arizona. Then after several months you might notice a side or back is sticking up 1/64".


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## sailmike (Jun 7, 2011)

Thanks everyone!

Steve, is there anything I can do to minimize the wear on router bits from plywood?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

sailmike said:


> Thanks everyone!
> 
> Steve, is there anything I can do to minimize the wear on router bits from plywood?


No, it's like the glue line was a thin sheet of sheetmetal. Every place where there is a glue line it will cut a groove in the router bit. At one time I had a contract to cut out 15" round icecream parlor seats out of plywood and I attempted to cut them out with a pattern and a router bit. I think I was about to cut 20-25 seats out before I had to take the bit out and throw it away. I then bought a better quality bit and very soon it started doing the same thing so I quit and cut the seats with a bandsaw.


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## sailmike (Jun 7, 2011)

Woodworking is a hobby for me, so I won't be making dozens of items. With that in mind, should I get a cheap miter lock bit from Yonico, or go for a quality bit like Freud? Also, I forgot that I can cut a 45 degree bevel before using the miter lock bit.


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## highfigh (Oct 8, 2017)

sailmike said:


> Woodworking is a hobby for me, so I won't be making dozens of items. With that in mind, should I get a cheap miter lock bit from Yonico, or go for a quality bit like Freud? Also, I forgot that I can cut a 45 degree bevel before using the miter lock bit.


There are many suppliers of bits- I have used bits from MLCS for a long time and they last a long time when I was working with a lot of MDF, particle board and plywood. Also, it's a good idea to find someone near you who sharpens things- it allows more cutting tools to be 'one time purchases'. Obviously, the cost of sharpening can't be so high that buying new is the better choice, but over time, it can save a lot.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

sailmike said:


> Woodworking is a hobby for me, so I won't be making dozens of items. With that in mind, should I get a cheap miter lock bit from Yonico, or go for a quality bit like Freud? Also, I forgot that I can cut a 45 degree bevel before using the miter lock bit.


If you plan to use the miter lock bit on plywood get a cheap bit. A better quality bit won't last very much longer.


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## sailmike (Jun 7, 2011)

How do I find these router bit sharpening services?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

sailmike said:


> How do I find these router bit sharpening services?


Usually if you have a saw sharpening service in your area they will also do router bits. Where I am it's a half day drive to drop stuff off to be sharpened and another half day to pick them up so I just buy new instead of sharpening.


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