C-Channel is Overrated! | The Wood Whisperer

[@woodwhisperer]

Looking for my Backside....Sandpaper? Go here: backsidesandpaper.com/

[@ArchEdge]

International Shipping yet?

[@woodwhisperer]

Yup.

[@ArchEdge]

Awwww... $56 to ship to Australia :(@@woodwhisperer

[@woodwhisperer]

Yikes!

[@timothykuharich9967]

As a finish carpenter I go through a lot of sand paper, just ordered 2 bundles. I have never seen this before glad you are keeping it alive, good luck with the new endeavor I’ll support as I can

[@matthyland1218]

I love that you showed some of the older projects that aren't dead flat, makes me feel better about my dining table that is off by just a little

[@kenmoorhead2943]

It’s good to finally see some personality from Shannon.

[@BuiltKnotBought]

My c channel story: Im working on a 12 ft white oak conference table (its a monster) It was flat after the glue up for a day or two but developed a 1/4+" cup in the center. I installed 4 sticks of c channel underneath and was able to get the cup down to around 1/8" (with hopes that the base adds even more stability. I could be doing something wrong but i see cupping happening often in my larger dining table builds

[@Jackson-T23]

Funny but true C-channel story. We have a rustic outdoor patio trestle table I built out of recycled pallet wood. My cousin got drunk, jumped up on the table and snapped it in half. 🤪 I fixed it by reinforcing with two 3" C-Channels coated with bridge primer running lengthwise. It's now drunkard proof. 👍

[@woodwhisperer]

A worthy application. :)

[@TaylerMade]

they will make a better drunkard

[@kenparnell4297]

Never underestimate the power of drunkenness.

[@Jackson-T23]

@@TaylerMade Ha! You are probably right. This takes using C-channels to prevent wood "movement" to another level.

[@jeffburkholder202]

@@kenparnell4297 That's why my two outside tables are concrete pours that I stained. There's been a drunk girl or two dancing on them. ;-)

[@typeafurniture]

0:13 I had no idea how big that C channel was until I saw the banana, thanks for including banana for scale 😉

[@RJ_Taylor]

I'm still stumped. I'm gonna need to see it in football field equivalents... or elephants.

[@ChrisHornberger]

The problem isn't solved; the variability of the size of the banana makes your otherwise astute observation moot, and still unfactored in a factual way. Damn it, Marc @woodwhisperer. You've confused the entire universe with your shifty banana.

[@minormist]

Even slab furniture didn’t regularly feature c-channel until fairly recently. I always saw it as a fastening solution to attach metal bases, as opposed to a way to keep things flat. Having properly dried, milled, and finished slabs seems like a better insurance policy for flatness than c channel attached with screws, and with glued up panels, you can add various other methods to keep things flat.

[@kfairhurst1]

Something that people don't think about when installing c-channel is that they may be helping the table resist cupping/crowning along the width, but they are increasing the amount of sag along the woods length by severing the wood fibres on the bottom of the board. Say you recess that channel 1/2" on something that's 1-1/2" thick and you toss c-channel on either end and in the middle. Well you've now got the weight of an 1-1/2" thick top with the sag resistance (along the length) of only a 1" thick table. In addition, to actually have enough bending resistance to keep a large top flat, you'd need such a tall channel that you'd need to just bolt it to the bottom upside down because it's too tall to recess. Massive waste of time.

[@stevepeterson7348]

I 100% agree. About 1 yr ago I built a farm house style table from kilm dried ash. 13.5 ft x 6 ft x 1.75 inch thick. I almost added channels iron, but Marc said in one of his earlier videos that channels are not needed to glue together, kilm dried lumber. He was right. Table is very flat. Thanks for the great advice Marc!!!!

[@edwardconwell728]

Embedding C channel has always struck me as odd. Let's cut through around 50% of the fibers that make the tabletop strong in the off chance that the table curls.

[@michaelbauer7023]

I agree with your assessment 100%... in addition to what you said, the weak link is the screws used to hold the c channel in place. Meaning, if a top decides that it wants to cup, it will pull through a couple of screws without hesitation. This happened on my kitchen table (cherry top mounted to a decorative iron base). Wood movement is a powerful force... if it wants to move, it will move.

[@karl_alan]

Thank you. I was searching through the comments to see if anyone had mentioned how it all comes down to that handful of screws and inserts.

[@karl_alan]

Thanks for this. C-channel makes sense if you're doing a slab table & just attaching hairpin metal legs to it. With more traditional wood bases, I always saw the base as part of that stabilizing structure keeping things flat.

[@bloho_design]

the entertainment/education balance is on point in this one

[@jsmxwll]

i've never had a good use fo c-channel. i've always used sliding dovetailed cross supports because that's what i was taught and it's held up in my applications so far. it is a heavier and more labor-intensive option though.

[@michaelpayne8102]

Bingo

[@a-q197]

I used C-channel with my dining table which wasn't a slab. The legs I used are from a company called TipToe and they just grip the edge of the table table. I wouldn't have been happy not using the C-channel.

[@cemontalvo12]

If Shannon’s segment was a voicemail, this video would have been 20 minutes long

[@chrishaugh1655]

I'm glad you finally addressed this. This trend of throwing C-Channel into literally every big piece (mostly tables) from the KZbin woodworking community is reminiscent of when "aged" or "reclaimed" wood pieces were literally everywhere a few years back.

[@ClarasWoodshop]

This video was really helpful bc I was just pondering about whether C channels are helpful for large table tops made with dimensional lumber. Thanks for sharing your opinion!!

[@MemphisCorollaS]

“Leave comments for the algorithm that I’d love to not read”. In present to you the most honest woodworking content creator in your YT. 😂 Did you leave slots in the wooden batons if your tables without c Chanel, or did those just behave well enough without that?

[@mikea1985]

Hi Marc great video as always! Ok, so if strictly speaking of solid slab tables, where would you draw the line and use a C-channel? I have a 52" wide 8ft long solid slab dining table. I opted for c-channels in that and feel that the little extra insurance was worth the time/extra cost. Although, on something that big, I also feel like if the wood moves enough it will just bend the C-channel anyway. But what about smaller slabs like 36 inches wide or an epoxy river table 30" wide using two ten inch wide slabs and a ten inch wide river? I know this is very subjective, but I am curious if you have any hard rules or just kind of feel things out on a per project basis.

[@SwearingenTurnings]

I use them on some of my MCM inspired pieces that don't utilize an apron to keep it flat--as you mentioned, a lack of structural support. On my apron-and-leg frame tables, or breadboard ends tables, I don't use them.

[@royruther4895]

"I'd love to not read them" bwahahaha... I love it. What a way to end it. That comment alone made me hit the subscribe button.

[@cuebj]

Thanks. I made tables without C-channel from 1970 as a teenager at school - they still look good. But, with a second hand pub table top for my daughter, I was all set to order C-channel because... all the KZbin videos use it. Back to first principles

[@bentswoodworking]

Totally agree. The only reason I have used them was solely for content.

[@wouterengels7769]

Thank you, I was wondering why my kitchen table came with metal bars on the under side. It seemed so unlikely to need it. Now I know it doesn't :) And if I was ever going to use a c-channel, I would at least make some sort of grove in the middle of the boards, to reduce the movement first. Otherwise I don't see how the c-channel would remotely have the stiffness to stop the bending.

[@AngieWilliamsDesigns]

Good information. And... LOL... "tell us all your stories in the comments... I'd love to not read them".

[@jamesthomas4080]

A 3" piece of wood as bracing like you had on that one table is going to be at least as stiff as the c-channel you showed at the beginning of the video, and quite possibly a lot stiffer. But the question is not how stiff is the wood table top but how strong are the moisture driven warping forces. If I were really worried about a warping top I'd conceal a wrapped steel I-beam under the table.

[@kfairhurst1]

The 3" brace is going to do far more for resistance to cupping than a c-channel ever will. Resistance to bending is all about the height of the member.

[@woodworksbygrampies1284]

Hola! 🖐Thanks for "straitening" this matter out, hahaha! Is this the first time Shannon makes an appearance on one of your videos? He seemed to be so nervous I did not see him blink even once. Take care and have a good one, Adios!👊

[@michaelthoma]

I fully agree, but an exception would be bowling alley lanes. Narrow strips of maple or pine that are 3-1/2" thick (depending where on the lane) and they use T shaped steel underneath. Extreme flatness needed for an extreme application; not a dining table.

[@BartonMaxwell]

I've only used c-channel once. For an outdoor patio, under cover, table top made from 2x8 SYP construction lumber from the green box store. I dont have a moisture meter, so no idea if they were properly dried. 3 years on and it hasn't moved in any noticable way. And no idea if the c-channel is even helping.

[@dougschriefer3076]

Some of Shannon's best work I must say...

[@woodwhisperer]

He's an American treasure!

[@davelove4739]

Love the cameo appearance from Shannon 😂

[@ForestTaber]

Deliciously salty. Thanks for elucidating that, amigo!

[@orowoodworks5413]

I've never come across C-channel that was useful in a new-build situation. The wood movement is generally much stronger than that thin, soft steel can prevent. Better bet is a piece of 8/4 hard maple with a sliding dovetail if you're really concerned about cupping.

[@MCsCreations]

Thanks a bunch for all the tips, Marc! 😊 Yeah, I'm planning on an outdoor table and I'm considering C channels... Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@lmartinez300]

Love the Shannon cameo!😂

[@AKdesignsandhardwoods]

I have a new respect for Marc(real marks have K’s) Matt and Shannon after listening to every wood talk while I work 10 hours a day for the last month or two. I miss Vanderlist (I spell like new matt reads) as the changes have gone quickly for me. Thanks for not quitting, quilting, knitting and giving great solid advice. I will only use a c channel on customers tops that are single slab or 18” and wider slabs joined up. Use it as an insurance policy just for safety, but wood will Do what wood wants to do.

[@BeatsbyTheHuman]

I have a table in making that starts with 8/4 ash, but it’s a gaming table so I’m routing/removing large sections from the top so that I can then later fill them with removable boards so it can double as a dining table. 8 dice trays and one 30x30 square in the middle for board games. I’ll probably end up removing 1/2 to 3/4 thick of material. Thoughts on whether this varying thickness will necessitate something like C channel? Breadboards aren’t an option due to sliding cup holders (and the dice trays).

[@woodwhisperer]

In that case I think you should opt for at least some kind of reinforcement. Once you excavate a lot of material you're really messing with the structural stability as well as promoting an uneven loss of moisture from the center of the board. So there's a high potential for movement. In your case, c-channel would probably be smart.

[@BeatsbyTheHuman]

Thanks man, I was thinking that because of how much material I was removing, but I am only a year into the vocation so, this video came up perfect timing.

[@josiahutah3712]

@@woodwhisperer one could argue that by evacuating said material, forces causing movement are reduced. I recall the trick to cut one or two grooves along the length of a plank’s backside. Common technique to reduce cupping. Having said all that I really have no clue. Just hearing bits and pieces and putting it together. I saw your explanation and respectfully it sounds backwards. Care to double down?

[@BuildwithMooney]

Marc you make me laugh and educate me at the same time, WOW! What is the deal with the C Channel topic on KZbin? Marc said I don't need it, good enough for me!

[@MortimerSugarloaf]

Perfect rendition of Shannon

[@JaredRandal]

So glad you made this video! I feel the same about pesky metal fasteners. Was wondering how you feel about alternating grain during glue ups - smiley face/frown face U/upside down U - everyone seems to be pushing?

[@woodwhisperer]

I arrange my boards for best face presentation and have zero concern for the end grain orientation.

[@JaredRandal]

@@woodwhisperer couldn’t quite tell on those in the video, except the outdoor table. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

[@joewilson4436]

@@JaredRandal the grain orientation thing is an old wive's tale. It will only (maybe) help you if you've messed something else up badly, like milled the lumber when it's still wet - then you might get more of an alternating pattern to your cupping than if all the boards were orientated in the same direction. But if the wood is dry to moisture equilibrium before milling to the final size, you'll be able to minimize wood movement. A good tip (I don't remember where I got it from) is to mill oversized and come down to the final size as late in the project as possible, this will give the boards some time to move a little and release some tension (it's important to remember that not all wood movement is from changes in moisture levels). So this might mean if you're gluing up boards for a 1 1/2" thick table top, you mill to 1 5/8" - 1 3/4", glue up, and then flatten the table as a whole. This is also a good insurance policy against joinery issues, for instance, being half a degree off when edge jointing your boards can cause some unevenness in the final panel glue up.

[@hamubice1551]

I'm pretty sure Mark has done a video explaining why he has no fucks to give about this particular issue.

[@disqusrubbish5467]

Frowny face end view puts what the Japanese think of as the "best side" up. I'd use best looking side up in any event.

[@henningmogensen9144]

When I was learning cabinetmaking in Denmark some 50 years ago we had a thing called 'gratning' (I can't translate it). You make a channel across the tabletop (underside of course) with the channelsides at an angle and sliding a piece of wood across with a height so to fix the legs to it. Difficult to explain, easier to draw.

[@disqusrubbish5467]

Sliding dovetail?

[@henningmogensen9144]

@@disqusrubbish5467 that is correct, thankyou

[@andrewv5104]

I think it should be noted to use lumber that is near the EMC for the destination of the piece. I have a coffee table and dining table that do not have any cross grain support, no breadboard end nor no apron. They were made with lumber that was properly dried and near destination EMC. They aren't perfectly flat but the average person will never be able to tell.

[@kyleames7697]

I am pouring a river table of 6 2inch cookie slabs to make a table that is 4ft wide and 6ft long. Cross grain. Do you think I need a C channel?

[@joshualavigne274]

Getting ready to start on the Parsons Style Extension table grow TWW Guild. The project recommends c-channel, which I wasn’t too excited about, and I believe the top is technically floating on the extension mechanism and not secured to the base. To c-channel or not to c-channel…that is the question! Thoughts?

[@matthewjames9167]

Spag’s are you procrastinating? I’m wondering who’s going to finish their big project first; you and the wife’s closet or Bourbon moth and the Airstream? I’ve followed both of you for a while, and love your work. Thanks man

[@michaelpayne8102]

Woodworking techniques and methods have been developed and refined over thousands of years, some of the current trends (slabs/resin/etc) ignores that body of knowledge/skill and people are looking for ‘crutches’. Sometimes the crutches help sometimes they don’t . I’ll stick with the tried and true methods and avoid the fads.

[@vichubbard3664]

I had to stop and comment on Shannon's "dialogue". So damn funny!

[@joewilson4436]

Great video. I've always been skeptical of c-channel. Unless you're going with extremely thick steel, it's going to deflect quite a lot over say, a 30" run. And wood that wants to move will exert and incredible amount of force. So c-channel really only makes sense in a case where you have a really thin top that isn't capable of much force, and no or very little in terms of support from the frame. Which is just a terrible idea all around. It seems to me that the less support you want to use, the thicker the top should be, and the thinner the top, the more it should be supported. If you get that right and can have reasonable control over your humidity, it should stay functionally flat(ish) - assuming it was milled well and dried to ~ moisture equilibrium for the intended space.

[@jc99252]

only place i have found a good need for it is on book shelf. really helps with the sag

[@Taters_OldManGolf]

Over 30 years and never used it, matter of fact never heard if it until recent years. Since most “regular woodworkers” are not making furniture that cost $THOUSANDS$ of dollars I don’t think it really matters. But that’s just an old man’s opinion!

[@Thesaltymaker]

Ah, Shannon. I’m crying laughing. Great topic, and appropriate length for the content. Thanks Marc

[@TaylerMade]

retired now, but i have never used c channel on any furniture. large tops are always attached to a base. the base will keep it aligned. a lot of movement can be reduced by the way the boards are glued up initially. this is the trouble with youtube. once one says something everyone else then makes their own version of the video and suddenly misinformation becomes general knowledge. jointer snipe being unavoidable is a prime example of this.

[@thenext9537]

Agreed. My nearly 200 something board foot black walnut table is fine, most boards were 8 to 11" wide over 8' (or is it 9'? hmmm) long. Moisture content was at 8% at time of glue up, via pin holes and surface on multiple areas (pin holes on bottom, because I'm not a savage). The custom frame (also walnut) and skirt attached keeps it pretty straight. I think 1/8" deviation on one side, but that also could be from hand scraped wood floors, foundation settling, etc. Whatever!

[@cuypers1800]

What about doing hairpin legs? I can then see a c channel helping keep it stable as hairpin legs don’t have much support and the table would benefit having the c channels

[@monteglover4133]

I have a desk top that my dad made over 50 years ago that violated the rule on never cross glue support boards it’s still flat and I made solid wood doors with cross glue supports still flat. They are both cherry.

[@DegustoDelSol]

Im new to woodworking, and wonder when you should and should not use c channels? I bought a walnut 2inch board (1.8m x 0.5m) and I want to dip it all in epoxy, top and bottom with a river in the middle. If I should, then when? After pouring epoxy and letting cure, or before? OR when you encase the board, you wont nee it because the moisture content wil not change?

[@scpatl4now]

The only movement I've ever had was when FedEx managed to destroy a table I shipped. Maybe C-Channel would have helped there/s

[@disqusrubbish5467]

Maybe UPS Channel...

[@woodsilobuilds7245]

I went to a metal shop once and ask them about purchasing C channels for an upcoming project, and after talking with the owner of the shop about what I would be using it, for he essentially said that it would go completely against what the form and function of a C channel is. He did not think it would keep anything flat when laid horizontally along the wood like woodworkers use them. They are stronger and meant to be used on their side to keep things flat and sturdy, as on trailers or other equipment where they are typically used. The strength is not along belly and your example of a failed C channel is exactly what this metal worker said would happen.

[@rolandgdean]

16 years in office furniture and I saw c-channels in conference table made from high pressure particle board that was laminated top AND bottom. It seems there's no reasoning behind some of the applications I've seen it used in.

[@donaldhokanson3321]

The hold my beer comment got me! 😂

[@BruceAUlrich]

Interesting perspective.

[@Toyotajunkie]

I used four pieces of 3" wide "c" on a 24"x24" night stand made entirely from 1/2" Baltic Birch ply. OK, I didn't, really. I think that type of reinforcement has it's "place" in woodworking. But if you don't use it correctly and follow ALL the other requirements when woodworking, it won't matter one bit.

[@frossm]

Shannon has never looked better...

[@DrJWR1]

I hope to soon make a desk that will have pedestals at each end and about 10 feet of unsupported top in between. It seems to me that square tubing has considerably less tendency to bend than C channel. Your thoughts?

[@jakegontesky7185]

What project was that 8/4(+?) walnut glue-up for?

[@woodwhisperer]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gamYnot9pditpK8si=I2jlkpnTuonfMddV

[@ashutoshsrivastava303]

how do you align the C channel if using it on a single piece of slab. Thinking of making a dining table from two pieces ( bookmatched) of black walnut or single slab. Even though it would at my home, still dont want to fix it every few years :)

[@filipandric8069]

It just weakens the slab when they make the inlay more then half of the wood thicknes

[@40redfox40]

Great, literally just spent about 5 hours the last two days installing c channel on the first table top I ever made …it is red oak (because white was too expensive lol) . I used c channel based on all the KZbin talk about them and it wasn’t until this minute I saw your video. After all that time, expensive, and effort of learning I feel like it was now a waste of time and money. Next time…no c channel but at least I now know how.

[@donaldpowell7762]

You don’t have to read this, but ever like is engagement.

[@bobh64]

At the wood store I work at I get people asking for this for simple cutting boards or hallway table stands. Why? because they saw it used on the tube channel.

[@alanr745]

I have nothing important to say, other than that the words from Shannon was priceless. I have no idea what he said because I was laughing hysterically. Thanks Marc!

[@kennethholmes9315]

I’ve been woodworking for over 35 years and I’ve never used the stuff. I guess it’s just the good old fashion joinery & engineering that sits well with me. Most people don’t really study the art. So they don’t know any better. Have a good one.

[@typeafurniture]

0:48 Disappointed you didn’t make Shannon Canadian

[@robertbamford8266]

C channel on the front and back edges of ikea cabinet shelves to keep them from bending under load.

[@MarkThomas123]

I'm a metal worker.. The first time I saw this done, I thought to myself. I wonder if someone laid a piece against a wall and pushed on it.. Ha..Ha.. It's not like it is going to stop ANY movement,, ESPECIALLY, when it is loosely "Slot Screwed" Allowing movement... What causes Expansion/Contraction?? Moisture and Heat... So, seal the dang thing top/bottom AND Primarily the Ends,, and keep it out of direct Sunlight, and you should be fine. Only seal the top and you are ASKING for trouble.. It should cup up on both ends,, IF,, it is a one piece slab.. Multiboard slab? No telling, but, should do the same eventually. Even if you just Seal the ENDS (Endgrain) Straws that suck up the moisture,,, you will do way more than adding a C-Channel.. I guarantee the guy on Reddit had his piece in a high moisture environment. IF,, you are going to use C-Channel, you should make your own out of 1/4" flat bar at 90 degree angles, and fit TIGHT in the slots, to not allow bending in the slot.. The taller the legs, the more support, but, then again, the more support you are removing from your panel by making those deep grooves in your flat panel to begin with.. It's all about keeping the moisture out... Rectangular tubing would be much better than C-Channel, but, then again, how much wood do you want to remove? But, a Rectangular tubing as a top to a set of table legs? Yes. Now we are getting somewhere.. But, consider Weld Warpage when you build it, or, it won't be flat.. Watch it just as the weld cools. You can see it move.. Outdoors? Sunlight and Heat is one thing.. Water is another. Keep it sealed for best results.. Your mileage may vary.

[@joshwalker5605]

yeah I've never thought that c channel was gonna help. The forces involved will bend c channel too.

[@elioth.g.w2976]

The RSC used on the Reddit was used in its weak axis with the web at 90 degrees to the table it may have worked better.

[@robertrusselldesigns]

Well you got me to click and watch the video. Well done. Well done. :)

[@kenparnell4297]

C-channels need to be sized and I have seen people add the smallest "bar size" channel and when I saw it in his shop I told him he needed to rethink bar size and number of them on the project. He had a slab for a dining room table made from, no one but two a large oak crotches and was about twelve feet long. It was a gorgeous table and he'd really done a good job, but he cut a corner and only put three to support all that. Ok, long story short, the table warped like an old vinyl record in the sunlight. The customer wasn't happy, he was doing the blame game about humidity and it was ugly to say the very least. They wound up going to court and the judge apparently had some knowledge of wood working and saw the issue and encouraged them to work it out because both parties had wood chips on their hands. I never did find out what they settled for but I can tell you he got out of the large slab table business.

[@nitreug87]

Hey Marc! Timing couldn’t be better. I’m about to start working on a trestle table but the twist is that I’m planning on making it expandable with 1-2 leaves in the middle made from the material itself. Breadboard ends would work on the main piece but not for the leaves. Any thoughts?

[@cameronnebe]

I just did an expanding table for the first time, using the C channel because it was a trestle table and there was no apron or breadboards on the top itself. Plus the leaves were crossgrain to keep the liner grain matching on the full table when they were installed. I found out halfway thru the build from another woodworker that the c channel isn't really helpful, but I had already bought it so I used it. The top was 8/4 knotty alder milled to 1.625" by the time I got all the twist out of it. I've had alder and other woods bow or twist after final milling so I was trying to protect against that, but the main thing I did was store the unfinished table top pieces on stickers all the time so the humidity in the shop wouldn't cause one side to cup. I never had any issues with it warping, but probably not due to the c channel. Acclimation before final milling is probably the most important step. Ive had pieced-together tops cup after glue-up I presume because they were stored together with one face to the air, and the humidity got to them

[@nathanfought4169]

Omg I love all of the shade thrown in this video 😂

[@colinlpeace]

I still don’t understand C channel. Does it have to be in a C shape or would a simple piece steel with movement holes work just as well?

[@robthewaywardwoodworker9956]

I'd be interested to see that outdoor table of yours if you re-flattened it. Do you suppose it would continue to move or perhaps the movement has run it's course much like settling of a house.

[@TaylerMade]

movement never stops unless you can keep the humidity constant

[@st170ish]

Doesn't always need to be a metal C section either you can always dovetail a nice chunky strongback across the underside.

[@HowYouCanMakeIt]

Great overview...well done.

[@LostBoyLA]

You mentioned kiln dried wood. What about air dried wood?

[@dusty265]

C channel and its use in wood has always amazed or should I say amused me! The first amazing or wait amusing thing is folks have flat stock formed into what they are calling "C Channel" which as a structural member goes it's a major NO NO! and even when your using actual C channel it is engineered to be used on edge and not flat like folks use it. the last amazing or amusing part is that the channel is attached to the slab in multiple locations with threaded inserts! Oh wait isn't the threaded inserts the weakest point? and then assuming the channel is providing support when the only strength are the short vertical portions of the channel. Ok enough! I will leave you with this thought! I believe it's been said that the interweb is a huge echo chamber! Good day

[@AB-nu5we]

I weld C channel on my X-wing to keep it from sagging in flight.

[@woodwhisperer]

As any good Rebel should.

[@chrismcright930]

Ahhh, Cane's. I've had a lot of Canes in my time.

[@bwedesign]

I didn't realize embedding steel channel in wood table tops was a thing. Now I know. Plus, what is that dinky little channel going to do? It is far stronger on edge than it is laying flat.

[@indisputablefacts8507]

Does this C-channel idea actually work? Doesn't seem to me like it should - I mean if you took that C-channel and spanned a 3' gap, I bet it'd take less than 50# of force in the middle to deflect it 1/8". Not much more to get 1/4". If you have a 3x3 piece of wood that's 1 1/4" thick, you'll need a lot more force than that to get it to deflect 1/8". Maybe enough to break it since you're going across the grain.

[@jimrosson6702]

Great video

[@archers101pd7]

If the wood is dried properly and final product is stored indoors. I just do not see why a C channel is needed. It is in a control environment.

[@mariano_353]

What about putting a sliding dovetail across the boards?

[@woodwhisperer]

That's a pretty elegant solution and one that builders have used for a long time.

[@mariano_353]

@@woodwhisperer hey Mark!

[@AZCobraman]

IMO, 20 years out all these river tables are going to be piles of junk with cracks all over 'em.

[@fredlove4444]

I can only hope.

[@zadams5596]

I've never understood those things. I mean, it you are going to all that trouble, why not go all-in on the outdated kitsch and embed a few compact discs or flip-phones?

[@AZCobraman]

😝

[@officialtree5245]

I have to agree. i personally really hate using screws, since it feels unnatural. just like you wouldnt put plastics in a metal watch.

[@DeDraconis]

Huh. I thought C-Channel was for uh.. work holding options. Am I thinking of something else? Like, those aluminium bars in that same shape that you can use for holdfasts or fences etc.

[@woodwhisperer]

T-track

[@DeDraconis]

@@woodwhisperer There we go, I'm a dumbass xD

[@onsapplikasies8620]

No intention of ever building anything that may (or may not as it turns out) need c-channel to remain flat, but enjoyed the video LOL

[@MMWoodworking]

If I was making a large piece for a customer, and they were already willing to pay a hefty price, and it wasn't some extra cost to me, I would put it in there as insurance, especially if they weren't local. I really do not think people care about a metal bar on the underside, and honestly non-woodworkers may even feel like it makes the table "sturdier". If it isn't an extra cost to you, and is covered by the client, why not use it? Its not a lot of extra work to put in. However, for my own tables, nah, hard pass, but I also am building panel glued tables for myself, because who the heck can pay for a large slab to have in their own home? Not me.

[@woodwhisperer]

If the customer is paying a hefty price either way, the cost to you is the cost of materials and your additional time. You could potentially charge the exact same amount and simply make a couple hundred more on the job. Not saying you should or shouldn't....that's obviously your call, but there is absolutely a cost to you for including them.