How do I do this the correct way?

[Nick Decker]

Very nice. Looks like the solution is a cool design element as well.

[Alan Lightstone]

Didn't color correct the picture. Fluorescent lights screwed up the picture.

It's teak, for sure.

[Sam Murdoch]

I hope to be proven wrong Alan but potato chip it will be. Pretty though.
Sorry to be negative.

[Alan Lightstone]

Sam:

You may be right. But I'm getting better at building these. Time will tell.

[Alan Lightstone]

OK. The replacement has been built, and placed outdoors in my Florida torture chamber. Time will tell if Sam's potato chip prediction is true. I'm hoping he's wrong.

The teak I used this time is far, far heavier than the cypress it replaced. Makes taking it on and off a little more of a pain, but hopefully teak will be a more weather friendly wood for the constant sun and absurd humidity. I'm hoping the System Three spar varnish holds up to the conditions. It has thus far on the Titanic deck chair I built last year.

Here's the finished product. Flat, for now:
IMG_0530 for web.jpg

[Alan Lightstone]

I hope to be proven wrong Alan but potato chip it will be. Pretty though.
Sorry to be negative.

And the winner is:

Sam.

Potato chip it is. As you say, a pretty one, but quickly warped. Going to leave it (I'm sick of making those), if for no other reason as I'll be able to see how long the finish (System Three Spar Varnish) lasts outdoors.

[Prashun Patel]

The battens need to go across the whole width to resist the warp.

[Alan Lightstone]

The battens need to go across the whole width to resist the warp.

Unfortunately, not possible due to the fire pit table's design.

Oh well...

[Prashun Patel]

Alas I recall you said that. Unfortunately unless the battens ar straight grained, thick, and traverse The grain of the top, they will just be along for the ride.

I have to say selfishly, though, this was educational for me. While I understand and abide by the science of wood movement, i don't have enough practical experience to know how much of the time it is critical. like everyone I get lucky sometimes and wonder if that's the norm or the exception.

I thought of a solution for you: remove those battens and convert them to tapered shims. Let the top warp away and just shim it where you need it !!!!!!

[Alan Lightstone]

Funny. Practical but funny.

I had seriously thought of buying more teak, orienting and gluing it to the top making the piece thicker, then routing out the center circle.

That became a non starter as it would just amount to hundreds of dollars of teak just thrown away. Should have worked, though, regarding the warp.

[Sam Murdoch]

This was one I didn't care to "win". You've worked so hard on this one. I'm confident some version will succeed.
Steady on Alan

[Alan Lightstone]

What's really odd, is that this teak version warped far more substantially than the cypress one, and far quicker. No clue what to make of that.