Salvaging Warped Scraps
Almost all woodworkers hate to throw away short lengths of twisted or warped wood. But sending these boards through a thickness planer usually doesn’t eliminate the problem the wood only gets thinner. However, by temporarily securing the deformed board to a carrier surface with wedges and hot glue and then sending both carrier and board through the planer, you can rescue the board.
For the carrier, I prefer two 3/4-in. layers of glued-up medium density fiberboard (MDF). I mount a warped board to the carrier using 50-cent sized dabs of hot-melt glue at the low corners. Then, every 6 in. or so, I wedge shims under the board and secure them with hot-melt glue. The wedges support the edges of the board and prevent it from rocking while in the planer. After the glue has set, I send the assembly through the planer to flatten the top side. Then I separate the board from the carrier, scrape off the glue residue and plane the other side.
James R. Myers, Dallas, Tex.
Fine Woodworking Magazine, December 1992 No. 97
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Estwing Dead-Blow Mallet
Starrett 12-in. combination square
Bessey EKH Trigger Clamps
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