Different woods in a table top - invitation to disaster?

[Dean Karavite]

Hello. A local shop had a custom metal table frame with a 6 foot long wood table top made of what looked like five or so 1" thick x 6" wide strips of white oak, walnut, sapele and maple all edge glued together. In other words, like any other top glue up, but using different wood for each piece.

I realize the aesthetics may not be for everyone, but it was done well with a nice finish. However, is mixing wood like this just asking for trouble? Or would it be okay as long as you followed best practices for wood movement in how it was attached to the table?

[Stephen Musial]

As long as they are all good linearly it wouldn't be a problem because each board will expand/contract consistently in relationship to its neighbor. It it was done in a checkerboard or alternating pattern, it would be more of a problem.

That said, I think we give way to much importance to designing for wood movement. Yes, there is going to be movement but not to the extremes that we sometimes design for. We have heated/ humidified homes in the winter and A/C in the summer which removes a lot of the moisture from the air. Factor in the finish and it takes quite a while for the seasonal moisture to permeate the wood and by then, we've probably moved on to a different season.

I've seen my share of table tops made from 1 slab of 24" wood that were screwed in place and have a crack down one side or the other but they're also well past the century mark and that most likely happened shortly into their lives.

I'm sure there are plenty of detractors but it would be interesting to do an experiment in different parts of the country with a frame and a board screwed to it. Use 4 frames and boards: 1 board finished and screwed directly to the frame, 1 board unfinished and screwed directly to the frame, 1 board unfinished and attached to allow for movement and 1 board finished and attached to allow for movement. Leave them in the living space of the house and measure the amount of movement throughout the year.

[Dean Karavite]

Thanks Stephen. Yes, they were all arranged linear and nothing looked flat sawn either. I think you raise a very practical and wise perspective. Alas, I don't have the spare room to participate in your experiment. I'm just a home hobby woodworker and of all my projects I only had one serious issue with wood movement due to my being a little impatient and not letting pieces fully acclimate or dry. Even so, it wasn't catastrophic.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I However, is mixing wood like this just asking for trouble? Or would it be okay as long as you followed best practices for wood movement in how it was attached to the table?

Q1: Nope. Not a bit.
Q2: Yep. Definitely.

[Dean Karavite]

Thanks Kent. I'm thinking I might try something like this myself. I have quite a few boards of different types left over from different projects.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Thanks Kent. I'm thinking I might try something like this myself. I have quite a few boards of different types left over from different projects.

Tee it up. You never know until you try.

Expansion coefficients will not be an issue. Just leave enough room for worst-case.