Woodworker's Journal 2001-25-2, страница 10
LliTTERu T Major Design Flaw ... or Hidden Detail Mail Call! Contact us by writing id "Letters", Woodworker s Journal, 43(5 Willow Drive. Medina. Minnesota 55340, by lai it <7831 478-8396 or by e-mail: letters ^woodwortiersjournal. com. We ask that all letters. Including e-mails, include a mailing address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit fet length and clarity. Tabletop Expansion I am a full-time woodworker specializing in reproductions and studio furniture pieces. I was appalled at a major design flaw in the table featured in your December 20110 issue. (Building an Arts & Crafts Table from Mock-ups). The table has two legs on the outside of the width of the tabletop. As the lop expands ii will act as a lever pushing on the tenons of (he piece that joins Ihe legs together. 11 will leave a gap on the inside of the legs as the top contracts. I can't imagine thai the tenons will still be holding after a few-seasons wood movement. 1 realize the lop w as made from quartersawn white oak. and this may lessen the degree of fluctuation in the top; it will, however, move. I hope you appreciate that my comments are nol just subjective opinion; this detail of the table violates a fundamental rule of furniture design and shouldn't have been featured in a magazine that enjoys such wide disiribulion. Ron Brrse via Internet Ian Kirby Responds: You are correct. A solid top needs room to move. My design allows for movement, bul as the orthographic drawings appeared at one half scale, how thai movement was accommodated is nol clear. Bccausc a magazine takes a subject, large or small, and fits it into a sel number of pages, subtle but important elements can become obscured. Look at page 30. Had the fronl elevation drawing. Top Rail and Ijeg," appeared full-size, the gap between the top (piece 4) and the leg (piece 1) would have shown as 1/lff1 and been much easier to see than the 1/32" gap actually displayed. On page 32. Ihe lop photo in "Making the Motif shows the softened edges and gap. Finally, at the end of the article, diere is a reference to softening the edges. The 1/16" gap between the top and legs allows for possible eipansion. The gap is disguised by softening the top edges of the joining pieces. However, thank you for an opportunity to expand upon my design and technical thinking. My aim was to lake a further step along the Arls & Crafts tradition. The motif of the four squares is one of the most attractive and enduring of that movement. I didn't want to pul Ihe motif at the top of the leg. only to have it hidden by the transom effect of an overhanging top. The leg-through-top detail is standard fare with a dimensional))* stable material (e.g.. MDF), but it's counterintuitive with solid wood. Nevertheless. I was determined lo show the pattern value of the square motif to advantage ... so, how-could it be done? It's all about shadows. By radiusing the mating edges of the cutouts between the top and the legs, the resulting soft shadow effectively masks the 1/lti" gap. If the gap changes due to shrinkage or expansion, tile change is
Softening the edges where the legs meet Ihe top cieates sett shadows, effectively hiding the Ifir gap. ^ 10 April 2001 Woodworker's Journal |
