[OP]
Contributor
Imagine a flat table top. Nothing fancy. Coffee-table size, maybe 30" x 60". Flat-sawn curly soft maple.
If I put stringing around the perimeter - maybe inset 1" from the edge, all 4 sides............
What happens with the cross-grain stringing when the top expands + contracts?[/QUOTE]
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.
Member
They can break (stretched) or pop out (shrunk). Your table could expand or contract 1/4". Sometimes more. Sometimes less. Depending on the environment. Can you do the string crossgrain to crossgrain?
[OP]
Contributor
I am very familiar with design for cross-grain wood movement - but I aam wondering if the narrow, thin slices of stringing really "care" about that.
I don't know how you would get cross-grain stringing - unless it is a bunch of 6" - 10" pieces sliced off the end of a board and butted together in the slot on the table. Seems like that would look a bit funky.
Looking at photos of high-end antiques, it sure looks to me like they ran stringing wherever teh heck they wanted to???????????????
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.
Contributor
I never heard of a problem with stringing. The stringing is so small - and it's glued along its length - that I think it just expands and contracts with the substrate.
I agree - our ancestors just ran stringing wherever, and never had a problem.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
Michael Fortune limits his cross grain straining to 5 inch pieces due to wood movement.
Nelson
Member
I used stringing on occasion and cross grain wood movement just hasn't caused problems; some of that might be due to the wood not going through wild swings in indoor environmental humidity, though.
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