WWA Info Exchange

My son & his family would like a round table at least 5 1/2 feet in diameter, enough to seat 7. Can I make it with 20 pie shaped pieces and still control the wood movement/splitting? I know than bowls with 4 or 6 segments have split. I would really like the look of all the segments. I know it could be done by veneering to a solid substrate but then I need to edge-band the substrate.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Kent

I think you should be veneering and edge banding this job.
Think about your troubles with the bowels and multiply it by 100. It will almost be like the end of a log and trying to get it not to split and crack. We all know that wood moves even with a good finish on it.
I forgot to ask....which way would the grain be running? Will it be cross grain requiring you to glue end grain to end grain or, with the grain which would give you a better glue surface BUT, that would also be the way the wood would want to expand and contract.
This is a tough issue. Do you have time to glue up a couple of small models using both ways of running the grain and do a quick experiment?
I have made a few segmented bowls and vases and have not had a problem but, they are very small in comparison to a table top!
Please keep us posted on your decision and build. I'm sure other people with more experience than me will chime in soon.

Rog

I'll add a couple of pictures of a segmented vase that I did. Maybe it will give you an idea or two. (note the grain direction on the segments)







And the bowl.... (Again, look at the grain direction on the segments)






NO end grain showing on the outside of the bowl anyplace.
I have not had any cracking with either of these projects so far (knock on wood ) But remember, they are stacked and over lapped segments (and small) that won't be on your table.

Rog

Rog

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Hey Kent,

A few years back, I built a round table from 5/4 figured teak. I used edge glued planks and no edge treatment other than a 15º bevel. It's 50" in diameter and can seat 5.

Cheers,
Tom

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Roger has pretty much hit the nail on the head - you're going to have expansion problems if the pie wedges have the grain running from the center outward (ie, radially), and you'll have gluing problems if the grain runs cross-wise. I agree, in spite of the fact that a few months back I posted my semi-circular desk made from pie wedges with radial grain. However, this was less than a 1/2 circle, so there is somewhere for the wood to go when it expands and contracts, unlike a full circle desk. In addition, it is an annulus, so I didn't have the wedges ending in points.

I don't think edgebanding will be that challenging. For a large table like that, you can make the edgebanding at least 1/8" thick, perhaps more. I'd edgeband the substrate, then apply the veneer on top of that. You could even apply solid stock to the edge of the substrate like a many-segmented frame, then cut the thing with a router to make the circle, then veneer. This will give an edge that will stand up to a lot of abuse and still have thickness to sand out scratches and such.