wood expansion and contraction

[bassndboat]

I am building a cedar chest. The outside is red oak and it will be lined with cedar. Underneath the top is also lined. I was wondering if the two woods might expand at different rates. I am also wondering how I should attatch the cedar. I was thinking about using pin nails and no glue. I'm just trying to keep it from splitting when I put it in the house. Thanks for any advice, Mark. :eusa_thin

 

[pslamp32]

I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure if the inside (cedar) is thin enough and assuming similar grain orientation you should be ok. I would think it would be like veneering right?

 

[MarkE]

We had an old Lane cedar chest, oak on the outside with the entire interior cedar lined.

The cedar lining was bevel edged tongue and groove panels with 2 or 3 small nails at each end, depending on the width of the panel. I don't think any glue was used. Since the panels only had a couple of nails, they were free to move. The tongue and groove hid any gap that formed as the panels shrunk in width.

 

[bassndboat]

Mark, thanks for the info. The cedar I am using is also tongue and groove. Sounds like a good plan. Thanks

 

[bassndboat]

Thanks for the advice Peter. The cedar I'm using is only 1/4 thick and it is tongue and groove, so I guess it would be like veneering.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Mark: Just for future reference, here's a web site that calculates wood movement (among other things). Click on the third icon from the left (board w/ arrow going across grain) and enter the type of wood you're working w/.

The Woodshop Widget

Bill

 

[bassndboat]

Thanks Bill, I will definitely check it out.

 

[jlimey]

Mark,

IMO, 1/4" thick is too thick to consider it veneering. You definitely have to consider wood movement, like you have. If the grain direction is the same across the oak and cedar, I would take a look at the wood movement calculator and see how much the species differ in movement in response to humidity changes. You might be able to get away with pinning the cedar - but pins will impede movement to some degree.