Hi guys,
At the moment I making the computer desk that was featured on the New
Yankee Workshop. The first bit of the project I completed was the desk
top which came out great. As my workshop is so small I moved it into
my house for storage without applying finish until I was ready for it
again. I had a look at it last night and found that the main body of
the table has shrunk maybe 1/8 narrower each side of the both
breadboard edges.
Question 1
If I trim back the breadboard edges and apply a finish straight away
can I expect little or no more shrinkage?
Question 2
As of yet I haven't made the doors but the timber has been stored in
the workshop all of the time. If I complete the doors and apply the
finish before moving them into the house can I expect little
shrinkage?
Basically my workshop is my 12' x 10' shed at the end of the garden,
so there is no heating etc...
Hopefully someone can help this relatively new woodworker, I'm just
getting back into it for the first time since I left school.
Cheers,
Neil
Neil,
One of the reasons to use breadboard ends is for exactly what you
experienced... wood moves (shrinks and expands) as the moisture goes up and
done. Don't cut the ends of the breadboards, come the spring and higher
humidity, the top will expand.
Pre-finish any panels you're making before installing them into any frames
to avoid having unfinished wood exposed when the panel shrinks (when its
dry) and expands again when the humidity goes up. Ideally, if you can move
the wood into the area where it will be used to condition it for 2-3 weeks
would be ideal, then do the final milling, assembly and finishing before the
humidity rises again would help seal the wood at that moisture content
(almost). Be sure to seal both sides, edges and ends.
Bob S.
"Neil Cummins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi guys,
>
> At the moment I making the computer desk that was featured on the New
> Yankee Workshop. The first bit of the project I completed was the desk
> top which came out great. As my workshop is so small I moved it into
> my house for storage without applying finish until I was ready for it
> again. I had a look at it last night and found that the main body of
> the table has shrunk maybe 1/8 narrower each side of the both
> breadboard edges.
>
> Question 1
> If I trim back the breadboard edges and apply a finish straight away
> can I expect little or no more shrinkage?
>
> Question 2
> As of yet I haven't made the doors but the timber has been stored in
> the workshop all of the time. If I complete the doors and apply the
> finish before moving them into the house can I expect little
> shrinkage?
>
> Basically my workshop is my 12' x 10' shed at the end of the garden,
> so there is no heating etc...
>
> Hopefully someone can help this relatively new woodworker, I'm just
> getting back into it for the first time since I left school.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Neil