I am working on my new project and am contemplating if I should account for wood movement. It's a cross that has boards only 4.5" wide, but I have inlaid an interior boarder by about 1/4" and extends out the top by about 1/4". However they connect by mitered corners.
Is made of purple heart and paduke. Oh idea what I need to worry about with wood movement?
Here is a picture to e what I'm talking about. I'm still not done, I want to add a scroll pattern in either maple or birch down the center, but I also don't want those miters to break (they are not glued in yet.)
IMAG1117-600x1067.jpg (158.92 KiB) Viewed 15149 times
Wood will move, but the miters are mainly end grain, which moves a whole lot less. Maybe a mini spline? Glue them up and move on. Nice looking project by the way!
Chris Neilan
Shopsmith Mark 7, Shopsmith Mark V 1982, shortened, Shopsmith 10 ER; Craftsman table saw (1964); Powermatic 3520B lathe
ChrisNeilan wrote:Wood will move, but the miters are mainly end grain, which moves a whole lot less. Maybe a mini spline? Glue them up and move on. Nice looking project by the way!
Because the frame is placed inside the cross is where I worry. The movement of the purple heart on the frame
There will be little movement along the long dimensions(vertical and horizontal arms). Only the short pieces at the ends will oppose the grain of the base. Since they are short(~ 4"), I would not be concerned.
JMO.
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I agree with JPG. There will be no problem Wood movement on the 4" sides; it will be very,very small.
Only if the cross has adapted to a rain forest atmosphere and then moved to the sierra, will you notice an issue with movement. And even then it will be quite small.
The long sides - NO issue
NOT TO WORRY!
Octogenarian's have an earned right to be a curmudgeon.
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
Any idea on the moisture content of the wood ?
Wood will move depending on the direction of the grain from my experience.
my guess is it could shrink a little over the years if moisture is much over 6%, if you want you could drill from the back and insert a few dowels or screws to assist in holding the wood in place along with the the spline idea .
The cross looks good !
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