# Edging a joined solid wood slab?



## sethmcc (Feb 18, 2009)

I've decided to make my own walnut dining room table, and I found a great set of plans for one. So far I've just made the table top, which is 55" x 40". The plans called for plywood with edging around it, but instead I made mine out of solid planks of walnut ranging from 3" to 5" wide, all run through a joiner and planer and glued together. The slab looks good, but it is currently 3/4" thick, and I need to add a 1/2" thick edge that will make the edge 1.5" tall. I can either attach the edge material to the bottom of my slab, or I can cut the slab down a little and attach a taller piece to the outside edge of the slab. In the end I just need the edge to be 1.5" tall by 1/2" thick.

It's hard to describe without you seeing the plans, but the 1.5" x 1/2" wide edge is integral to the design. My planks are all 40" long, so the two long sides of the slab have all the end cuts of my planks. I'm looking for a way to attach an edge that won't get totally screwed up when my slab shrinks a little. The wood is from a tree I cut down into large planks several years ago. Since then it's been air drying in an enclosed but unheated/uncooled shed. So, it's pretty dry, but I'm sure it will shrink a little more after it's been in the house awhile. And then I suspect it will change dimensions a little bit seasonally. 

Any suggestions? I know it's a bad idea to attach one long 55" x 3/4" x 1/2" piece of wood along the long edge since it will perpendicular to the planks in the slab. 

Thanks,
Seth


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

The only thing I can tell you is the edge you add needs
the grain to run the same as the slab. 
Cross grain will cause separation or warpage.


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## sethmcc (Feb 18, 2009)

Thank you for the reply. I've considered cutting the ends off some of my 5" wide planks and gluing them together underneath the slab end to end. Then the grain would be running the same direction as the planks in the slab. My concern is whether or not it would still move differently than the slab and still cause problems, since each plank has a different grain pattern and will move differently.

On the short sides of the slab where the planks run long ways, I can just glue an edge to it. Just need to figure out a solution for the long direction. 

Thanks,
Seth


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

I think as long as the grain is in the same direction
and the same material finished the same, there would
not be a problem.

The way I see it the half inch is a weak point, easily
broken?

Without seeing the project, this is what came to mind.


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## sethmcc (Feb 18, 2009)

Good point on the breaking. I may be able to use your idea on sloping the inside edge. I'll have to wait until I have everything made and fit together to see how much room I have to do that.

Thanks again,
Seth


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

BHOFM said:


> The only thing I can tell you is the edge you add needs
> the grain to run the same as the slab.
> Cross grain will cause separation or warpage.


Anything that I have ever built out of solid stock always has two "edge" sides and two end grain sides. How do you ever edge all the way around a table of you will not edge the end grain parts?

I agree that the edging should be a solid piece of wood 1 1/2" thick.

G


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## woodshaver (Feb 19, 2009)

My first thought would be to use a tongue approach but since you have this huge slab all glued up it might be tricky cutting a slot all the way around. The edge pieces would be milled with an oversize tongue. Drill dowel holes through both then remove the side strip and make the holes oval consistent with the slab wood grain. Then dowel it all together. No glue. So warping etc is allowed for because the wood can move. Sorry I can't draw pictures yet but I hope this is clear enough.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*Breadboard Edge*

I made this sketch a while back for someone else with a similar problem. I think it is called a breadboard edge. I am not sure. What I am sure of is the it will work. This joint has been used for hundreds of years. 


This design can easily be modified to work for you.

Have fun


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I might not be visualizing this correctly but the 1/2" thickness concerns me. Even though 6/4 tall, I don't know if that "frame" which is essentially what it is, can resist the tendency to warp just on its own especially if the grain orientation is wrong in your execution. If by chance any portion of the frame wants to warp with the corresponding side or edge of the top (and that large it is likely again, especially if you do not orient your grain patterns correctly) then you'll see some warp which may not be acceptable. 

A top that large, attached to the table frame with properly-selected (forgiving) joinery will still warp over time, but constructed properly the movement will be barely discernible or not at all. I think you need to rethink this. The reason your plans called for engineered wood is because the desginer knew the 6/4 x 1/2" border would not be a sufficient temper for movement. Or in the alternative he used lightweight border because he was calling for engineered wood in the plans. 

Whichever came first the chicken or the egg - I would not cross the road yet. See if you can redesign this top to still work with your plans in function and form before you forge ahead. Just my 2 cents, don't claim to be correct just thinking out load. I have screwed up some tops before. 


Tony that's a good drawing of a breadboard. Anyone who might use a breadboard for the first time just remember to be careful with you glue application concerning the dowels.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*Good Point Texas T*

I forgot to mention that.

I think he already glued up his table top. 
What I would do if I were him is to modify the standard breadboard design to fit his application. Since his top is only 3/4" a tongue would be too thin. That design can be modified as in my sketch by making a rabit instead. This would give him a little more "meat" to tie into and still give him his 1 1/2 thick edge.


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## the miz (Feb 24, 2009)

Tony B said:


> I made this sketch a while back for someone else with a similar problem. I think it is called a breadboard edge. I am not sure. What I am sure of is the it will work. This joint has been used for hundreds of years.
> 
> 
> This design can easily be modified to work for you.
> ...



Yes this is a breadboard edge, but that won't work for 1/2" material. Alot depends on the design and how he Glued to slab together. When you gluelam solid wood lengths you need to make sure the rings (on the edgegrain) alternate one up, one down, etc. This makes the slab more stable and prevents cupping. Also. you can seal the endgrain with some thinned glue. This will also help prevent cupping, checking and reduce the expansion and contracting of the wood. As long as the wood is dry enough you could edge it with the 1/2" but you may get some separation over time. Keep in mind that the wood is more likely to shrink while drying than expand depending on the climate it is in. Ideally, your slab should be veneered plywood or boardcore which is what is typically used for larger table tops and these can be edged all the way around. Also, if you need 1.5" thickness you can add a 3/4" buildup under the edge (like a countertop) this will also help to stablalize the slab. I have used walnut & maple layups for things like chess boards and applied and edge with no ill effects but they were usually kiln dried woods. 

Hope this helped!

The Miz


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## bzbatl (Feb 10, 2009)

Just make sure that wood is dry, dry, dry.

My buddy made a table out of oak with reclaimed pickle barrel wood. The end shrinky dinked down about 1/4" on each end. Looks fine to me, but he gets irate every time he sees it.


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## scribbles (Mar 2, 2009)

Use a sliding dovetail and only glue one side, so it can move, otherwise you will crack.


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## clampman (Oct 20, 2006)

I second Scribbles.


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