Making table leaves

[Petertaylor]

I am making a few extra leaves for an old walnut table. I have the 4/4 walnut, 14-inch wide boards, air-dried for a decade. I have used this wood for many pieces of furniture.  My question is: Would you use the wide board, as is, or would you rip into a few slices and glue them together in fear that the wood might cup a little. Of course, both sides will be finished the same. (My preference is to use the wide board for the drama of it.)
Thanks. —Peter

[Handplanesandmore]

Absolutely no ripping!

Simon

[Scoony]

I would not rip them. If anything, I might make some battens for the underside, but only if the wood indicated that it may cup

[jteneyck]

I would try to match the tabletop.  If it's made with wide boards I'd use full width boards.  But if the tabletop was made with narrow, glued up boards, I'd replicate that look.  

John

[toolmiser]

I would say to match existing, but it's tough to rip nice wide boards. When I was in high school we were always told to not use pieces wider than 4 inches, I think a lot of people have changed their minds now.

[Handplanesandmore]

Unless I misread, the OP said the boards were 14" wide...not 14" wide for some, and 7.5" or 61/4" for the rest. He wondered if the boards should be ripped and glued back to prevent cupping. His inquiry was not about board matching.

If it matters, I never alternate boards as some people do due to potential cupping concerns. The top must look good first.

Simon

[jteneyck]

Unless I misread, the OP said the boards were 14" wide...not 14" wide for some, and  7.5" or 61/4"  for the rest. He wondered if the boards should be ripped and glued back to prevent cupping. His inquiry was not about board matching.

If it matters, I never alternate boards as some people do due to potential cupping concerns. The top must look good first.

Simon

I don't think you misread the OP's post.  But just because you have 14" wide boards doesn't mean you should make the leaves full width if the table they will be used with was made with much narrower boards.  IMO the leaves should be consistent with the rest of the top so it looks the same with or w/o the leaves.

John

[Handplanesandmore]

I don't think you misread the OP's post.  But just because you have 14" wide boards doesn't mean you should make the leaves full width if the table they will be used with was made with much narrower boards.  IMO the leaves should be consistent with the rest of the top so it looks the same with or w/o the leaves.

John

Good point, John, as not every woodworker knows to pay attention to grain and proportion when they build something.

Simon

[hcbph]

Over the years I have made a number of table leaves for many customers, out of many different species of wood including walnut.  I think the widest I made was about 12" wide out of straight grained lumber.  These were typically for older tables that used pins to align the leaves and I never had any issues with warping or cupping as long as the wood was stable and finished on all sides.  Use wood the same thickness as the table top, straight grain, proper MC and finish all the sides the same and I double you'll have problems over time.