So, I’m making a box, 32″ x 18″. I joined up a panel for the top and put a mitered trim around the edge, set it aside and started working on the main carcase. Got done with the carcase and the top has warped, doesn’t sit flat on the box any more. I don’t have enough stock to make a new top, and can’t really get more b/c it’s a locally harvested wood that I can’t just go get more of. If I plane down the edges at the top of the box to a line that matches the warp, it’ll sit flat when closed, but look crooked when open. I’m stumped. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Charlie
I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different. –K Vonnegut
Replies
give it sometime and see if it moves back. Put some bolcks under it to let the air flow under.
Would it work to put the high spot on the back and let the hinges hold it down? Or would that just cause the front to come up?
How thick is the panel, what wood, and how big is the crack?
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
I've been messing with a hand plane and have gotten it mostly corrected. But, yeah, there was twist in the top, so that if I hinged down the back side of the top, the front left corner was up about 1/4". The panel is black locust (I'll never do THAT again) and the edging is walnut. It's about 1/2' thick. Trying to plane locust is a horrid experience, like trying to plane fibrous concrete. I chose locust because it's an heirloom toy box (or at least that's the idea) and I wanted it to be very tough to deal with a 4 year old boy who might just as well have been named Breakitifyoucan.
Thanks for the help, guys.
Charlie
I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
Is the edging glued all around to the panel? I'm having a little trouble picturing what you made.
Frequently panels will warp if they are put down flat on another surface. Air needs to be able to freely circulate to both sides equally.
It's a panel made up of locust in the middle, with walnut about an inch and a half around the outside, mitered. I stood the panel up on end; I must not have dimensioned the planks well. Ah, well. I lowered two opposing corners, and it is a much closer fit now. Live & learn...
Charlie
I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
>>It's a panel made up of locust in the middle, with walnut about an inch and a half around the outside, mitered.
If that's the case, what have you done to allow for seasonal expansion and contraction of the black locust? An 18" wide of black locust will expand/contract about .25"(if quartersawn) or .41" (if flatsawn) seasonally with a change in RH from 40% to 80%. Black locust is a very unstable wood. If you have solidly glued the walnut trim across the end grain of the black locust, you can expect that something will give or severe warping.
Maybe I'm missing something here.
Howie's right, that's not going to work regardless of what's done to flatten the top. The black walnut around the edges is why the top warped in the first place, more than likely.I didn't read your post very well. I think that you're going to have to start over, unless you cut off the trim around the edges and the panel returns to flat, I don't know that it will.
Well, there ya go. No, you're not missing anything. I haven't exactly been doing this forever, and neglected to consider this. Now, I live in a pretty dry place, Colorado's Front Range. This may help, but I had intended a box that could be moved anywhere and beat up, but would hold up for a lifetime or more. Can't believe I didn't think of this, but I didn't. The box has a walnut molding around the bottom, too. Sigh. I floated the bottom panel; no idea why I missed this. Thanks, we'll see how it goes.
Charlie
I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
Charlie,
A panel is made to float in grooves in the surrounding frame so it can expand and contract without cracking or forcing the joints of the frame apart. Floating or the lack of it did not cause the problem you are experiencing.
From what you have described, I would guess that the locust panel simply started to twist as it dried out. A panel the size you are describing would have to be made out of an amazingly stable wood not to warp some. To prevent the movement of the panel from causing trouble, the frame around it has be stiff enough to resist the forces created by the panel. From what you have described, the walnut was simply trim not a true frame with mortise and tenon joints or other joinery that would make it capable of staying flat if the panel wanted to curl a bit.
At some point if the locust shrinks enough you may also have problems with the crossgrain ends causing cracking or the breaking of joints but that will be a separate problem from the twisting. I'm pretty sure that if you removed the edging you will find that the locust all by itself has taken on a twist.
John W.
Edited 2/19/2004 5:00:03 PM ET by JohnW
Black locust is some tough stuff alright. Not only is it hard as a rock, but the grain changes direction alot and tears out horribly. I guess I'm just posting out of empathy, because I have been in situations where there just was not any more wood available and I had underestimated the amount of waste and/or had unplanned screw-ups (did I just admit to making mistakes?) I guess If I were you, I would try to get some more black locust as it is not all that uncommon, even though the colr may vary from what you have due to the fact that it will be from a different tree. A 1/2" thick top really can't be taken down all that much with a drum or wide belt sander and leave you with anything substantial. Good luck.
Yeah, locust is rowdy. I respect it, and it came out stunningly beautiful to my eye; but it was a freakin nightmare to deal with, exactly as you described: crazy grain, horrible tearout, gritty gnarly crap. One nice point though--it scrapes positively beautifully, maybe cause it's so hard. Even the box joint was hard to get right, tearout like crazy. Never again, but all woods after this will seem wonderful.
Charlie
I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
You could possibly try two or three thick battens on the underside to try to bring it flat before scrapping it. Run them across the grain and make them as long as you can without interfering with the lid closing. Secure them in the middle with glue and a screw and elongate the holes for wood movement for the other screws to attach the battens.
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