Expert: Jamie Yocono - 12/13/2006

Question
I would like to build a TV table approximately 36" x 18" how should the grain be when putting the boards together.  Are there certain tricks that I should how when making this table. Thank You Very Much.  

Answer
Hi Bill,

You are asking the most common question that many woodworkers ask me - how to glue up a wide board and keep it flat. You have to deal with seasonal changes in wood that naturally occur. The reason cupping happens is because of normal movement in wood, in relationship to the humidity in the air. You probably have a door or drawer that might stick at one time of the year, yet moves freely at another time. That's because the wood swells or shrinks with changes in the seasons, and changes of humidity.

With changes in humidity, wood will cup in a direction opposite of the wood's annual rings. So if the rings are facing up, the board will cup down. It's just a fact of life.  Now there are some things you can do, like add bracing underneath the top to try and minimize the cupping, but it WILL occur.

Most woodworkers use this tried and true method for making solid tops: the top should be made up of narrower boards, say anywhere from 2" to 5" wide, and with each board, the direction of the annual rings is alternated.  So in your case, if your top is going to be 18" wide, you might want to cut the boards into 6 pieces, each about 3" wide. Mark the direction of the annual rings on the end of the board before you cut them, as once wood is cut, it's hard to figure out the direction.

When you glue the 6 pieces together, boards # 1,3, and 5 will be in the "up" position, and boards 2, 4 and 6 will be facing down.

This is just an approximate, Bill. If you have boards that are 5" wide, it doesn't make any sense to waste two inches off of each board to accomplish what I described above. So if you're using 5" wide boards, you could make each one about 4.5 and use four of them.

The important thing is to alternate the annual ring orientation, and to NOT use boards that are too wide. Additionally, the apron of your TV stand will help keep the top flat and stable. If your design doesn't include an apron, then you may need some vertical stretchers below the top to help keep it flat.

Hope that's not too confusing! This topic has been discussed many times in most of the woodworking magazines and websites, so if you do a search on laminating procedures, I'm sure you'll find some artwork to help you along.

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this. And if this answer was helpful... please take a minute and rate my service. Thanks!

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