ᐅ Oak Office Desk: 20mm Deep Tongue Groove with 40mm Board Thickness?

Created on: 22 Jul 2024 00:30
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FriesKP
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FriesKP
22 Jul 2024 00:30
Hello everyone,

I recently came across a solid oak tabletop (180cm x 80cm x 4cm (71 inches x 31 inches x 1.6 inches)) that I plan to use as a desk surface. The panel was bought recently at a home improvement store, so the gluing guidelines were not fully observed. Because of this, I would like to install spline reinforcement to counteract wood movement.

In the past, I built a solid oak dining table and used "aluminum spline reinforcements with steel inserts" for it. I was very satisfied with them and am considering using the same type again. The advantage of these splines is that they simply fit into a groove and are secured with screws that expand—therefore, there is no side insertion hole, and nothing protrudes underneath. This creates a “modern” look where the splines are only visible when looking under the table (this can easily be found on Google for reference).

However, I am a bit uncertain because these splines require a groove depth of about 20mm (0.8 inches), while this tabletop is only 40mm (1.6 inches) thick (the previous table was 55mm (2.2 inches) thick). According to the manufacturer, the splines are suitable for tabletops starting from 30mm (1.2 inches) thickness. However, it is generally recommended that the groove depth should not exceed one third of the table thickness.

How would you assess this? Is it feasible without problems, or does a 20mm (0.8 inches) groove depth compromise the stability of the tabletop?

I plan to install 3 splines, each 60cm (24 inches) long, which means there would be 10cm (4 inches) of original thickness left toward each table edge (4cm (1.6 inches) thick). Additionally, the table will rest on a sideboard on the right side for 35cm (14 inches), and on the left side, a metal O-shaped table leg will be attached.

Alternatively, U-profiles are often recessed, but I don’t fully understand how they counteract the issue if the tabletop edges tend to warp upward in a parabolic shape.

Thank you for your feedback!
K a t j a22 Jul 2024 06:24
Hmm, well this is a construction forum for houses and similar topics. There might be the occasional carpenter here, but I wouldn't bet on it.
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elminster
22 Jul 2024 20:33
Has the board been in a heated room for some time without warping? Perhaps you might not need ridge battens after all.