Console table advise please - part deux

[fobos8]

Hi all

I'm gonna be making this console table out of Euro Oak.

Here is a drawing of the inside of it from the back showing runners, kickers etc..

My question is about the rear rail which at 145mm is quite wide.

At what width should movement become problematic? 75mm, 100mm or more.

If its movement will be so much so as to cause a problem I may have 2 x 75mm rails and tongue and groove them or have a frame and panel type "rail".

Thanks in advance, Andrew

 

[woodbloke]

Can't see the pics at the mo' but will have a look tonite when I get in - Rob

 

[Aled Dafis]

The traditional way do deal with this joint would be to use a double tenon.

Sorry about the poor quality picture but I'm sure that you'll get the gist of it.

The top half of the joint is usually glued and the bottom half left to float in a slightly longer mortice so that the wood is free to expand and contract as it wishes. Personally I'd also pin (drawbore) the bottom half with an elongated hole in the tenon so that it is still free to move up/down with the seasons.

Cheers

Aled

 

[fobos8]

The top half of the joint is usually glued and the bottom half left to float in a slightly longer mortice so that the wood is free to expand and contract as it wishes.

Great idea to do that. I have a domino so I'll have the top domino glued and in a slot the same width as the domino. The bottom slot can be wider than the dominos width with the domino only glue into the rail.

At what width would you normally need to worry about movement in oak though? 75mm, 100mm.

Cheers, Andrew

 

[fobos8]

If I put this rail in in one piece and leave the bottom to expand/float by having a loose tenon then that means that the central runner could end up lower (as the rail expands) than the side runners which are nailed/glued to the side rails?? This will mean that the drawer will not sit flat and rattle.

Is this problem likely to occur, how much movement should occur.

Am i better off have a frame and panel at the back or two rails tongue and grooved?

 

[woodbloke]

At what width would you normally need to worry about movement in oak though? 75mm, 100mm.

Cheers, Andrew

You'd need to allow a fraction for movement but not much, at 100mm or so it's not going to matter much. It really depends on how dry the timber is to start with, if it's down to around 8-10% MC then it won't move, higher than that in a warm room and it will - Rob