A snapped leg taught me to respect wood grain direction

I was finishing a small stool for my kitchen. I cut the legs from a nice piece of oak but didn't pay attention to the grain. When I drilled the holes for the dowels, one leg split along the grain. Now the stool is wobbly and unsafe. Do you always consider grain orientation in your projects?

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3 Comments

bailey.river7mo ago

Ever see that Paul Sellers video where he talks about reading the wood like a map? He said drilling against the grain is basically pre-cracking your joint, lol. Made me double check every piece now.

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flores.jade7mo ago

My buddy Mark was assembling a cherry bookshelf last month, and he drilled pilot holes without checking the grain direction. He ended up with a split running right through the side panel when he drove the screw in. The crack followed the grain path like a fault line, exactly what Sellers warns about. Now he studies each board like it's a treasure map before even touching the drill. Can you believe how one oversight can ruin hours of work?

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blakeharris7mo ago

Is it really that big a deal if you miss the grain direction? I've skipped checking before and been fine, lol.

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