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My experience is with splitting red spruce, both second growth and old growth. I am sure the literature about other species is accurate.


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John

I would join them like you are considering in the picture where all the run out is in the same direction on both sides of the top. It will be fine IMHO.

It will certainly make repairs easier years from now if (when) a bridge has to be removed and replaced since the knife can work one complete side of the bridge without "digging" into the grain running out of the top. Lots of tops are gouged deeply (damaged) due to removing a bridges on tops with (large) runout.

The difference is removing a bridge, versus having a bridge lift on its own. The former can be dealt with, if the repairman knows how to read runout. That involves inserting the spatula from the bottom on one half, and the opposite direction on the other half. If that is done in the proper directions relative to the runout, there won't be any damage to the top. In fact, a runout top will tend to have a more clean removal than one with little runout. But bridges always lift from the bottom, and in that case, a bookmatched top with runout will tend to end up damaged on one half.

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John