I have used some old 'lightning struck' seasoned chestnut boards, intended for coffins but superceded by cheaper-to-use veneered-board products. While you can get over some minor visible shakes by hiding them where they won't be seen, larger ones always seem to open up after a while on the finished work. These can be really dangerous part-quartered on a table edge, handrail or seat rail, as a 'spike' can peel out to injure the unsuspecting passing hand. Even rubbing glue in won't hold them. I think the huge stresses set up in the tree by the passage of massive currents, generating high pressure steam, must damage the wood on a micro level, and that stress eventually causes movement.
BTW, as an aside I once ripped up some lovely sycamore boards, to discover a couple riddled with dozens of 9mm lead bullets! Nothing more sinister than target practice I hope.
