John:

That crotch panel cabinet is lovely, as your work always is.  

As you have obviously worked with walnut crotch, maybe you can guide me.  I
have about 8 sizeable book-matched panels (four pair), plus some more
un-re-sawn slabs of crotch in the wood shed.  The panels range from 2 to 3
feet long, and from 1/8 to 3/8 in thickness.  You may recall that a week or
so ago I was asking about how crotch grain, wild as it is, expands and
contracts.  I am still pondering that.

Meanwhile, though, I have these panels and slabs.  Seems to me that 1/8
crotch is not inherently all that strong.  Do you think that at 1/8 I can
treat it as veneer and hard-glue it to a substrate?  I am under the
impression that some old sawn veneer (as opposed to sliced) was about that
thick if not more so.  How about the 3/8?  If so, how would you or any
galoot reading this orient the grain of the substrate?

Of course, with 3/8, I could certainly do as you have done and mount the
panels in frames.  It is just that A) I worry about the strength of the 1/8
if struck or shoved (grandchildren don't you know); and B) I have a concept
for a clock door panel in which the book matched panels are butted at the
bottom -- the wide part of the pattern -- and tapered each way up and down
vertically.  That would not be as effective a design if there were a frame
bar in between.

I have two half-ellipses of crotch wood with heavy figure that I intend to
make into t coffee table top by butting the two, joining underneath with
butterfly keys, and then cutting an actual elliptical shape.  In that case,
the mechanical joints would be the butterfly keys, and the understructure
would give solid support.  However, those slabs are now planed to
full-dimensional 4/4.  They have the heft to take the butterfly keys and to
support their own weight.  Obviously a different approach is required for
1/8 or even 3/8 stock.

Any thoughts?

Joe

Joseph Sullivan