Understanding How Wood Expansds in Furniture
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Gents,
Thank you in advance for any replies. I read thru all 24 pages of “Woodworking Methods and Techniques” before posting.
I move frequently enough from areas of varying humidity, desert, swamps etc. and that has an effect on wood.
I desire to build furniture, table, chairs, bedframes, bookshelves, etc that won’t get damaged by the moving.
How do I get educated on how wood expands with humidity, and then building things to account for that?
A question we all have, somewhere in the back of our mind. I don’t know that there is any hard and fast answer. I always go with the idea that you need to let any wood you select, acclimate to your area/workspace, before actually starting the project. This can be anywhere from a couple of days to a week, depending on the wood. This should stabilize it enough to work for you project. There can be found, information that speaks to how a certain wood will react and how much. Do a little research and work this info into your planning. Some woods can expand or contract as much as half an inch, while the majority of the rest will stay within the 1/8″ to 1/4″ range. Just always provide some means for movement and you should be fine. Good Luck
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