I’ve been reading some of the threads on the effects of humidity because of a project my daughter has for me. She wants me to build a dining table for her and has already purchased the wood. The design is rather troublesome in as much as the legs will extend through and be flush with the top. The legs are to be 4x4 Cherry and the top will be 2 inch Alder. To make matters worse I live in dry eastern Washington where we will construct the table and she lives on the coast. High humidity here may be 40% . I’m guessing it will reach 100% where she lives. Will the Cherry and the Alder shrink and swell at different rates? I would love to be able to marry the top snugly up to the legs but am guessing I will need to leave a gap between the vertical Cherry legs and the horizontal Alder top to allow for expansion. Is there a way to determine how much space to leave or is it just a “guess and a hope“.
Thank you
Stan