movement in crotch wood?

[jbmaine]

Hi all,
  I have a small piece of BW crotch wood ( 7x9 inches) that I want to use in the center of the lid of a small box. Floating, Like a raised panel. how much room do you think I should leave for it to expand? I'd like a tight look if I could.
 The example I am going by is geckos boxes web site, box # 74.
 I just don't want to find out come summer that I made it too tight and split the lid.
                                        Thanks
                                                Jim

[Stwood_]

I'd be inclined to give it 1/16" all around

[Steve N]

Saying crotch just means from a V or Y in a tree. Is it trunk, limb? Is the wood KD or green, air drying, dried, IOW what is the current moisture content. As a whole crotch is beautiful, but it is also wood going in two, to several directions at once, so it's possible it has a lot of stressors. Because you didn't use the word veneer I am thinking it's a solid chunk. Knowing what I do know about crotches I think if it were mine I would saw it into veneer once dried, and apply it to a very stable substrate, like MDF for a small box, or a very stable piece of QS solid wood. I don't know exactly which of Gecko's piece you are talking about, so I'm at a loss without a picture or a link to say how he did it. Hopefully he will drop in. His experience is a bonus here.

[jbmaine]

Sorry I didn't give more info.
 
It's a cut off from a piece of air dried BW I've had kicking around my shop for about 15 yrs. I didn't think much of it until I cleaned it up. I'm not sure if it's crotch wood but something was growing thru the center of it ( long ways) . I'd post a pic but my wife helps me with pics and it's a surprise for her.

It's solid wood 1/2 thick. I'd like to leave it like that.


it's at 7% MC and my shop is at 36% RH.

I typed in geckos boxes and a pic of #74 is on that page. Sorry I don't know how to do links.

[MikeBob]

A fat 1/16th if is sealed with a film finish, if just a oiled wipe on maybe a bit more space.

[TomFromStLouis]

My experience is that crotch wood simply moves in almost any direction (whereas regular trunk wood moves mostly across the grain) because the grain goes in all directions. Just allow for movement as you normally would but in all directions.

[Gary G™]

Gecko #74, http://www.geckosboxes.com/box_074.htm, looks like a floating panel lid box.
A real beauty!

[jbmaine]

thanks for all the help.

that's the box I'm kinda designing mine around. I'll leave around 1/16 per side but any idea how he got his to look so tight? I don't see any gap left for movement?

                                                         Thanks
                                                                  Jim

[Stwood_]

It may be expanded/swelled out in that pic. Depends on the season

[Dan Moening]

Can't really tell from the website pictures.

But if I had to guess I suspect that the lid frame has a groove that the panel rests inside.
The panel, in turn, also has a groove ... where the lower leg fits into the groove of the frame.
Think of 2 H's stacked inside each other.