table top glue-up board sizes
I want to make a large kitchen table and want to know the widest boards that can be glued up without a problem. I am concerned about movement and cupping. Can 12-inch or 16-inch boards be used with a good vertical grain pattern or do I need to rip down to 6 or 8-inch boards and alternate the grain direction?
The Secret is in Your Attachment
I always make the table/desk/furniture top as a separate unit first and let it sit after it is completed. I go ahead and finish the top using multiple coats of thinned (50%) urathane with sanding or steel wool between coats. And while this is going on, I build up the table supports with a large structral piece of lumber down the middle of the long dimention.
Glue and screw the table top to the structure down the middle. This is your main attachment point. Use bread boards on the ends so the wood can move. Buy some automotive screws with large built in "washer" type heads to attach the top to the edges. Elongate the screw holes so the screws can float under the table top edges. This method does a wonderful job, and you will be surprised how much the wood moves in the bread boards after you move the piece of furniture inside the house. The top contracts and the automotive screws allow the movement without splitting the top boards.