I built the table below to donate to a charity auction (hopefully it will
bring more than the cost of the wood...). We are storing it our living room
temporarily, and my wife wants another one just like it; only in mahogany
rather than butternut.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/table.jpg

I picked up some 50" "shorts". After making the top and the shelf I will
have some really wide short scraps left over. I could use them to make the
side pieces, so that the grain direction will be the same as the top and
shelf. I realize that they will be much weaker than if the grain ran the
other way, but it would allow me to glue the top and shelf in since movement
would not be an issue. I "think" that would add more strength than the
sides would take away.

What do you think? Cabinets are built that way, why not tables?