A conventional table design can be built with an entirely solid wood top. There are a lot of reasons to not do this – see our FAQs for a detailed explanation of how we use solid wood – but in this case all the factors were favorable. This is an 18 foot long table, 8 feet wide at the wide end and 54″ wide at the narrow end. Take a look at the shot of the underside of the table, showing the reinforcing steel that helps keep the table flat. This is a little extra insurance to prevent warping and cracking, supplementing the critical analysis of wood moisture and grain orientation that is necessary for a solid top of this size to work.
Note also that very large solid-top tables have a rather plain appearance. There can’t be a contrasting edge band, multi color top, or inlays. All of those embellishments are only possible with veneer construction.
