Wood butchery

[Kram]

I am going to attempt some.
I have some bits of flat sawn wood to be screwed down as a table top.
Which way up should the grain rings curve to counter it cupping?
Had a few google searches but they all come back with rubbish. I looked in a book, and it suggests heart side out, but doesnt look as good. If it matters, this is treated wood, it will get sanded and boiled linseed oil, and will be out in the rain.

 

[Blobber]

Its pretty thick and not that wide so I doubt it will cup that much, I would lay it the way it looks best

 

[Newlands]

Definitely heart side out. It won’t stop it cupping, but you don’t want it the other way up - inside it will just look horrible, and outside it will collect rain water.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Heart up. Two fixings pulling either side.

Do it the other way and it won't stop the cupping.

 

[Kram]

Heart up. Two fixings pulling either side.

I have already welded on angle brackets, roughly centered, one at each end. I could add anothr peice across at each end and the middle to keep them flat.

 

[Newlands]

If it’s for an outside table, to be honest you’re better off with a small gap between each of the planks. If you glue them they’ll only pull apart, and you really want the rain to shed off the top easily.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

This has been outside 2 years. C24 no other treatment than what it came with.

This one nearer 5 years. Again as it left the merchants

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I know I need to cut the grass
But it ****** my neighbor off so o leave it till I have no choice.

 

[dyno-tron]

Heart side up, if there is any cupping the water will run off (leave a few mm gap between boards), you can see that cracks are already forming on the opposite face. Heart side down and those cracks will collect water and make it worse.

 

[Bravheart]

I know I need to cut the grass
But it ****** my neighbor off so o leave it till I have no choice.

That's one busy garden and obviously enjoyed by many. Why worry about the plank over the fence