Stretching Stretcher

 

Identical halves

Slide together

On occasion I've bumped into the conflict of a solid wood small table top that has grain running 90 degrees from the direction of the stretcher(s) below.  As wood likes to swell or shrink in width as the seasons change the distance between attached end leg frames changes.  In theory any stretcher between would need to grow or shrink in length to accommodate that structural flex. A tenon on each end keeps the stretcher square to the end frame, and a sliding dovetail embrace between the two halves should allow this stretcher to stretch. Tight together in the winter when the humidity drops, and slid open as much as 1/4" when spring arrives and humidity rises. 

This isn't a common problem as experience fabricators know how to orient wood grain to reduce conflicts on assembled wood furniture.  In fact it was only one past student of mine who's design could have benefited from this idea.  That was more than 2 years ago before I retired. I post it here to rid it from my creative mind.   

4D