Here is my first question in a longtime

[wisardd1]

I am building two night stands and they have double layerd tops, one smaller by a 1/2 inch all the way around. So, glue or screw? I am wondering about wood movement. My personal apologies to everyone here.

dale

[Beamer]

Me - i'd prolly just glue it ... yer talkin two flat panels, right?

Yeah - just glue for me. Long grain to long grain is the strongest glue joint out there and if the grain is going the same direction on both peices, you wouldn't need to worry about movement in the panel

[wisardd1]

That is what I wanted to know. I was afraid of cracking, but it is the underneath piece.

[Beamer]

so long as both panel has the grain runnin' the same direction, you'll have no trouble there

[dcarter636]

Both layers are the same species, and soild wood, right?

[wisardd1]

Yep, with oak. One is regular cut the other is quartersawn

[dcarter636]

I'm sure You already know that flatsawn and quartersawn oak hygroscopically shrink and expand the width of a board at different rates. I really don't know that there is going to be a huge problem where you are, with air conditioning and outdoor humidity swinging twixt 20% in the October winds and 80% in the April monsoons.

Personally, being more than a bit anal about that kind of stuff, I would stick to QS-QS or flatsawn-flatsawn for glue lamination. Or if the top layer was thicker than 1/2", use 4 #10 screws with 5/16" clearance holes to accommodate some movement. I prefer at least #10 screws because someone is eventually going to pick the piece up by the top and the whole weight of that nightstand will be hanging from those screws.

[TDHofstetter]

Given the two grain orientations of those two pieces... I'd glue a band down the middle (maybe 3" wide), then use screws in slightly oversized holes for the outside edges.

[wisardd1]

Well, since I already glued one, I did the 3 inch band and screws in the other. So, I guess I have a long term science project!

Shall I call this the Beamer/Carter/Hofstettlar Experiment"

dale

[dcarter636]

We'll be looking for a report same time next year.

[Beamer]

I'll give the glue the first year ... maybe the 2nd

My money's on 3 years before ya see a result - if any. I'm thinkin' they'll both be just fine, tho