Hi there,
I would be most grateful if you could help me out with this one. I have recently purchased some Southern Myrtle boards which I intend to use for jewellery boxes. I have about ten boards which are in small lengths measuring 18 inch x 4inch x 5/8 inch. The problem I have is that they all came with a bow down the length of approx: 1/4 inch. (the material is planed )
I would like to remove the bow if possible and wondered how to best go about it? Would steaming in a steam box be a suitable way of tackling the problem. I am also concerned if steaming would cause any staining or colour bleed in this material?
Any advice you could offer would be most appreciated.
Thank you.
Replies
Hi Woodsurfer.
The ideal way to get rid of the bow (and I assume you don't mean cupping, which is a bow in the width of the board) is to joint and plane the board until it's flat. But with the thinness of the stock, you're going to loose a lot of material to remove a 1/4 in. bow. Here is a great article we've published on that basic process:
The Jointer and Planer are a Team
Internal stresses in the wood have caused it to bow and it's hard to counteract that through other means. Yes, you can steam bend it, if you have the set up to make that work. it won't cause any major color change that wouldn't already occur when a finish is applied.
There is one method to temporarily flatten the board. Put it on a patch of grass with the bow side down. As the underside absorbs moisture from the ground, the top side will dry out, causing the top surface to shrink and the bottom surface to expand. This will only straighten the board for a short time. After that, you have to use joinery or a frame-and-panel to keep it flat.
In the future, your best bet is to buy rough lumber with extra thickness so you can joint and plan before using it in a project.
Let me know if you have more questions.
Matt Berger
Fine Woodworking
Many thanks for your prompt reply and advice,
Regards,
Woodsurfer.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled