I'm making a table (you can see my previous post), the top of which
will be plywood bordered with solid oak. Now, plywood does not
expand or contract, but oak will. The table is 40" long -- If I
attach a solid oak border (the border will be a 3/4"x3.5"x40", where
the 3/4" side is facing upwards and is flush with the plywood).
What's the best way to attach the border such that I minimize
cracking and warping?

Thanks

John

julvr wrote:
I'm making a table (you can see my previous post), the top of which
will be plywood bordered with solid oak. Now, plywood does not
expand or contract, but oak will. The table is 40" long -- If I
attach a solid oak border (the border will be a 3/4"x3.5"x40", where
the 3/4" side is facing upwards and is flush with the plywood).
What's the best way to attach the border such that I minimize
cracking and warping?

Biscuits, pocket screws, splines, even glue alone should be fine.

Wood doesn't move much in the directions you're worried about.

Barry

I use biscuits and never account for wood movement. I'v e never had a
problem with it myself. I've done this with mitered and butted joints
at the corners and with 1/4" to 3" wide edge bands. Basicially, to get
the hard edge to stay snugged up to the ply edge I've always had the
glue the whole length.

Also, just an FYI it's typically called "edging" or "banding" vs
border.

BW

"julvr" wrote in message
...
I'm making a table (you can see my previous post), the top of which
will be plywood bordered with solid oak. Now, plywood does not
expand or contract, but oak will. The table is 40" long -- If I
attach a solid oak border (the border will be a 3/4"x3.5"x40", where
the 3/4" side is facing upwards and is flush with the plywood).
What's the best way to attach the border such that I minimize
cracking and warping?

Thanks

John


As long as you're wrapping it with long grain, you've got almost no movement
in the wood. Which is why you can use almost any method you care to fix it
to the edge.

I'd put a strip of extra secondary wood underneath the top and glued to the
oak to make it mechanically stronger, and less likely to crack what is a
weak glue joint (half or more is end grain) if it receives a sharp crack to
the bottom of that 3.5" underhang.

wood expansion is almost wholly -across- the grain, not lengthwise.

shouldn't be a problem for you


On 7 Feb 2005 13:01:22 -0500,
lid (julvr) wrote:

I'm making a table (you can see my previous post), the top of which
will be plywood bordered with solid oak. Now, plywood does not
expand or contract, but oak will. The table is 40" long -- If I
attach a solid oak border (the border will be a 3/4"x3.5"x40", where
the 3/4" side is facing upwards and is flush with the plywood).
What's the best way to attach the border such that I minimize
cracking and warping?

Thanks

John

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

Like everyone said...glue it up and don't worry about
it. I've done a lot of edge banding/gluing with oak over
ply and have never had an expansion problem.

Lou

In article , Mike Patterson
wrote:

wood expansion is almost wholly -across- the grain, not lengthwise.

shouldn't be a problem for you


On 7 Feb 2005 13:01:22 -0500,
lid (julvr) wrote:

I'm making a table (you can see my previous post), the top of which
will be plywood bordered with solid oak. Now, plywood does not
expand or contract, but oak will. The table is 40" long -- If I
attach a solid oak border (the border will be a 3/4"x3.5"x40", where
the 3/4" side is facing upwards and is flush with the plywood).
What's the best way to attach the border such that I minimize
cracking and warping?

Thanks

John

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

julvr wrote:
I'm making a table (you can see my previous post), the top of which
will be plywood bordered with solid oak. Now, plywood does not
expand or contract, but oak will. The table is 40" long -- If I
attach a solid oak border (the border will be a 3/4"x3.5"x40", where
the 3/4" side is facing upwards and is flush with the plywood).
What's the best way to attach the border such that I minimize
cracking and warping?

Thanks

John

I'm not expert like the other, but I join them saying there
is no problem.

My computer desk top is oak plywood with solid oak edging
(1"x3/4" )and is 20" by 49-1/2". I made it for my Commodore
64, to give you an idea of the age and show no separation.
The edging was applied by cutting 1/4" dadoes in the solid
oak banding and the oak plywood and they were joined by a
1/4" spline glued with carpenters glue.

I'm not the expert here but I have never had a edging crack
or split

I have used banding for 50 years making my own by sawing veneer off of
plywood in the beginning and have had no problem with it. The desk in front
of me is edged similar to below, the printer stand beside it is banded with
thermal bonding backing.

Walt Conner

My computer desk top is oak plywood with solid oak edging (1"x3/4" ) and
is 20" by 49-1/2". show no separation.

The edging was applied by cutting 1/4" dadoes in the solid oak banding and
the oak plywood and they were joined by a 1/4" spline glued with
carpenters glue.

I'm not the expert here but I have never had a edging crack or split