Expert: Jamie Yocono - 11/4/2006

Question
Hello Jamie, I am preparing to build a china cabinet for my mother. I Have some very nice old plank flooring 1"+ thick and 12"+ wide.  Is there any reason I can't use these beautiful boards to build this cabinet?  Will cupping, splitting ect. be a problem?  Or should I use a Pine Veered Sheet?  The cabinet will be a 2 piece- the base is 18.5D x39.5W x 38H.  The top is 17D x 38W x 48H.  I would appreciate some input.  Thaks, Stacy

Answer
Hi Stacy,

If the wood is dry and stable, and in decent condition, I'm pretty sure it will be fine to make the china hutch out of it. There are a couple of things you need to consider.

You mentioned that the boards are wide, about 12" or so. Boards that are that wide can be prone to cupping. Most woodworkers would rip that board into roughly 3 boards, each about 4 inches wide. You should alternate the direction of the annual rings, so that cupping is minimized. Look at the end grain of the board, and you'll be able to determine the direction of the rings. It's sometimes easier to determine the direction of the rings when the board is still in it's wide form, so mark the end grain when the board is wide. Then rip it into the narrower strips, and like I mentioned- alternate the rings, so that on each adjacent board, the rings are alternated. This will virtually eliminate cupping.

Next- something to be concerned about is the moisture content of those boards. If the wood has been stored inside, say in a basement or garage, you should be fine. But if they've been outside in the elements, the moisture in the boards might be high. What will happen is this- when you build the base and hutch and then bring them inside, they could dry out, shrink and crack. One way to really ensure that this won't occur is to bring them inside, into a controlled environment, and let them acclimate. How long? It's hard to be sure, but I'm sure 6-8 weeks would certainly help them out.

Last- if the boards have some flooring finish on them, it might be easier to strip that off before you build the piece. You could run them through a planer, taking a light cut, so that you remove the finish, exposing fresh wood.  If you don't, you might end up with a funky finish. In fact, the new finish you apply might not even penetrate the old finish that is on the boards.

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. It sounds like you know what you're doing, and I'm sure the china cabinet will come out great.

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Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com