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In article .com,
says...
Ok, I've looked at the underside of the table and here's what I found:

The table top is screwed in at several points (5x along the lengths, 4x
along the widths, plus two bars along it's width with 4 screws each).
Would there be some way to restore the moisture in the wood (via oil or
other methods) and then seal the table with a lacquer to prevent the
moisture from leaving?

Thanks

The fact that the gap widens in winter and closes in summer is odd, well, it's
odd considering that humidity is usually lower in summer, so I'd expect the
table to shrink and the gap to widen. Of course if it's in a well heated room
in winter, that may be the course of the inverted phenomenon.

What you describe often happens when somebody tries to attach wood along the
grain to wood across the grain, the two rails across the grain under the table
may be the problem if they are attached in a way that they don't allow for
expansion and contraction. (Could be done with oval holes and washers under the
screw heads).

The top needs a floating attachment to the rails, or the whole thing will
likely happen all over again after you fixed it.

I'd first try this: get some sash cramps from somewhere if you don't have any.
For a dining table probably 8. Remove the top from the carcass and see how you
can pull it together with the cramps, using half from below and half from above
the timber (and use pads to protect the timber!) if you can pull the crack
tight that way so it's nearly invisible, without using huge amounts of brute
force, then you can glue it without jointing - you just need to get glue into
the crack ...

Then use a technically correct way of reattaching it to the rails. My preferred
method is to rout a groove into the rails, and slot custom made L-shaped blocks
of hardwood into the groove then screw them to the tabletop from below. This
allows for movement while firmly holding the top. But you can actually also get
special metal brackets for the purpose. Any good joinery trade supply [shop]
should carry something like that.

-P.

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