Things All Woods Do
All wood turns grey with exposure. The sun, wind and rain are brutal and will win out in the end no matter what you do to try and prevent it. In this episode I talk about why this happens and what can be done to slow down this process but ultimately this is not a species dependent thing, all wood turns grey.
There are other things that all woods will do too. They all move, they all check, and they all look different when freshly milled. It doesn't matter the species, it is something wood does. Let's understand why in all of these instances.
Finally wood movement, while it is something all wood does, is such a big topic that I will be dedicating an entire show to it in the near future. I want your questions and anecdotes about wood movement so I can make sure I'm addressing everything. Send in a question using the contact form on this site.
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Hi Shannon, awesome podcast! Opening theme song is also on point. I wanted to see if you can go into more detail why joined slabs tend to flex a little until they are secured to a metal base (lets say each slab is 22′ wide)? Will wide slabs eventually flatten out when secured properly to a metal base? Furthermore, if you decide to go the wooden legs route, are c channels necessary and whats your take on c channels? Thanks, look forward to hearing back from you.
The metal base is acting much like a breadboard as it restrains the slab and holds it flat. It is still attached with slotted holes so the wood moves seasonally but the base keeps it flat.
This is what the C channels are doing as well but I don’t think it is necessary with a wood base as long as the base is joined to maintain a stable base and you can attach the slab the same way you would a metal base. Where this could become a problem is when each leg is joined independently and there is not apron connection between the legs to restrain the top. Even then you will often see coffee table designs like that where 3 legs are used instead of four as they will always sit flat on the floor. Or the splayed nature of something like hairpin legs will still sit level under the weight of a slab as it moves. But the other thing to consider is the thickness of the slab will inherently keep itself flat. This is why most slabs you buy will be 10/4 and thicker. If not then you had better be prepare to attach them to a base that will restrain movement.