wood counter top with herringbone corner?

[jteneyck]

Both sides were finished with the same finish and the same amount of coats. I used 5 bolts....one at the center of each 5" piece of Walnut.  I'll be quite upset if I have issues but I will update my kitchen build post if that happens.

I do commercial heating and A/C for a living and I run a dehumidifier in the summer and a humidifier in the winter.  My RH stays at around 50%-54% year round in my home.  It'll only change if something breaks but it won't be broken for long.

It should be fine then.  To others w/o such a great HVAC system "Don't try this at home.".  

John

[Cooler]

I finished my Walnut counter tops about 6 months ago and considered a herringbone pattern at the miter but thought about what's involved getting everything perfect and considering end grain glue joints I opted for just a simple 45 degree miter.  My 2 counter tops are 10' long and almost 11' long, 1 3/4" thick and 25" deep.  I built each top then mitered the corners (it took me about a week to work up the courage making the cuts) then used a straight edge with a 2" flush trim router bit to make the 45's perfect.  I used counter top bolts and biscuits to hold and align everything.  So far no issues with the miter or counter top 5" wide boards separating.  

If the tops are joined as you had, and the top is fastened to allow seasonal movement then I would expect the visual representation of that movement at the ends far from the miter.

If it screwed in then that would not be the case. 

I wrote that I used construction adhesive above, but on reflection I believe I used silicone adhesive which will allow for some movement.

[jteneyck]

If the tops are joined as you had, and the top is fastened to allow seasonal movement then I would expect the visual representation of that movement at the ends far from the miter.

If it screwed in then that would not be the case. 

I wrote that I used construction adhesive above, but on reflection I believe I used silicone adhesive which will allow for some movement.

Yes, but how would you join the top to the cabinets to allow for that movement?  The L wants to pull into a tighter angle than 90 deg when the wood shrinks and open up more than 90 deg when they expand.  How do you allow the tops to move like that and still have them tight on the back wall?  It doesn't matter in Duane's case because of his exceptional HVAC system, but it would in most homes including mine where the RH is 40% in the Winter (with a humidifier) and 65 - 70% when the AC is not running in the Fall and Spring.  

John

[Bob10]

Thanks Dave you beat me to it with the sketchup drawing!  Yes that is the pattern I'm referring to.

Why wouldn't you just build it in place like hardwood flooring?