Uploaded January 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I knew the rule, but I chose not to follow it because I had to see for myself. Here's your chance to see for yourself and not make the same mistakes I did when I was a much younger woodworker. In short, wood expands and contracts along the width much more than the length, so if you restrict a board's movement along its width by more than 7" you run the risk of cracking.
I recorded this a 3 in the morning the day after Christmas before beating the traffic, and I was trying not to wake anyone up, so the volume might be a little low.
I knew the rule, but I chose not to follow it because I had to see for myself. Here's your chance to see for yourself and not make the same mistakes I did when I was a much younger woodworker. In short, wood expands and contracts along the width much more than the length, so if you restrict a board's movement along its width by more than 7" you run the risk of cracking.
I recorded this a 3 in the morning the day after Christmas before beating the traffic, and I was trying not to wake anyone up, so the volume might be a little low.
