The bookcase has been through the whole winter without showing any cracks or splits. I made sure the wood was down to 6% moisture before I started building and the largest portions of it are birch plywood. The face frames, door styles and rails, drawer front and the large shelf over the drawer are solid birch. I had a large oak hutch there for years and never had any splitting or cracking. I think if the piece was solid hardwood instead of plywood faced with hardwood it would stand a pretty good chance of splitting. Being dried properly also helps reduce the splitting.
Mart
