Is this acceptable quality? Cupping & cracks in timber table top

[eddomak]

Thanks all again for your replies. My mate is also watching this thread  , so hopefully he can get some ideas here.

I had also asked about the base prior to posting and here are the photos for those who are as curious as I am:
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I can't tell if the holes for the bolts into the top are elongated or oversized to allow for movement, but he had been advised to "not tighten too much" (which doesn't really say much at all).

 

[ChuckM]

"not tighten too much" could mean avoiding over stripping the holes, or allowing the top to move in elongated holes. The only way to tell if the holes are elongated is to unscrew one bolt to check, which is a problem easy to fix compared to others.

 

[Oldwood]

From looking at the photos it looks like there is no accommodation for wood movement. I would put one or two fasteners in the middle of the panel that have no slots to fix the panel and route slots for the other bolts and washers.

It does not look to me from the photos that this fastening method is the cause of the check or glue joint failure but it could be contributing to the bowing. 

 

[Svar]

As I've mentioned before, large solid wood tables without apron benefit from having steel braces underneath.
Something like this:http://www.akroydfurniture.ca/blog/...l_Brace_for_Underside_of_Live_Edge_Table.html
Particularly if you have large humidity fluctuation, or the table might be moved from one contrasting climate to another, or the finish is not air tight.

It could be a wooden cleat or batten too, as in traditional trestle table. Sometimes cleat is dovetailed into the top, and dovetail edge is concealed. Hafele even sells very clever concealable metal dovetail batten for solid wood tables:https://www.haefele.de/en/produkt/d.../64110903/?MasterSKU=0000000d0000b81a00050023

This particular one could have had a batten on top of the legs extending 80% of the width of the table without being visible and preserving the overall aesthetic. The minimalist approach they took might work, but it's a gamble.

Ditto gluing the dominoes. Easy enough even if you think you don't need them other than for alignment. It only takes a second.

Gluing dominos is unlikely to prevent cracks, as the underlying problem is excessive tension, rather than week joint. If you add domino, but tension is not addressed you'll still end up with a crack, just not in the joint but few centimeters away.

 

[mcooley]

Definitely would prefer elongation as opposed to just oversized holes for that dimension of top.

 

[Getmaverick]

I have seen this often going from a humid climate to a dry one. The glue joint should have never failed. The warping and checking is probably due to excessive climate change. I lived I Arizona for several years and seen people moving there from a humid climate and their furniture would do the same thing. Always best to buy local when it comes to custom furniture.

 

[semenza]

Definitely would prefer elongation as opposed to just oversized holes for that dimension of top.

I have used the Domino to bore elongated holes for wood movement or adjustment.

Seth