Reply To: Allowing expansion and contraction of wood
Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Woodworking Methods and Techniques / Allowing expansion and contraction of wood / Reply To: Allowing expansion and contraction of wood
I too have wondered about this at one point. Below is all speculation:
I imagine it’s because the tenons are small and if they contract, it might not be enough to crack, either because the wood itself can sustain it, or the glue is a little bit flexible and can move a tiny bit.
As an aside, another related curiosity:
How do guitar backs not always crack? I’ve seen them crack below 30% humidity, but why is everything else pretty much ok? The back is very wide and very thin, and is glued to braces running across the grain. Logic tells me this is a terrible idea and it should always crack a lot given enough time… But it doesn’t nearly that much, apparently.
Does wood really only crack like that under extreme conditions, and otherwise it’s fine?