Replies

1. 
   Glaucon | Feb 08, 2006 12:47am | #1

   How long have you waited between planing? 

   It's generally best to plane both faces at a sitting, say to within ~1/8".  Sticker it, and then after a ~10 days, plane down to within 1/16", from either face.  Do the third, final milling about 3-4 weeks after the orignal, again from both sides.  This should allow enough time for the wood to be stable.  You can do it more quickly, but the surest way to minimize movement is tincture of time and stickering.

   Glaucon

   If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

1. 
   JiminFla | Feb 08, 2006 05:57pm | #2

   OK, thanks for the advice.  I'll wait another couple of weeks and take another shot.

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Feb 08, 2006 08:36pm | #3

   If the cupping is caused by unequal planing, you can often just wipe or spray a bit of water on the convex side to bring it back to equilibrium and then plane the other side. (Just don't go TOO far and cup it the other way! <G>) Also, if the cupping isn't too bad, I wouldn't worry about it too much if it's not severe and the bed design will allow for straightening by attaching it to the posts, e.g., M/T joint between the headboard and posts.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

1. 
   tailsorpins | Feb 08, 2006 09:35pm | #4

   I believe he should lightly mist the concave side, thus flattening the piece. 

   Before I carve large pie-crust platters from wide planks of air dried walnut, I begin by planing the sawmill marks from both sides, then usually lay them out on the morning grass until they cup, then flip them over till they reverse the cup.  At this point, I return them to the shop, standing on end for a week or more, monitoring the flatness/movement, and when I feel that equilibrium has been reached, I plane both sides flat .... to finished thickness.  If the plank cups, I set it aside for processing into narrower material.  Often a plank that begins as a cupped board, from improper stacking during air drying, will come through this exercise totally flat ... as it was when it left the sawblade wet!  Then there are those few suspect planks that react violently, and are thus better utilized as rippings!

   John in Texas 

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Feb 09, 2006 12:10am | #5

   "I believe he should lightly mist the concave side, thus flattening the piece."

   Doh! Of course, that's correct. Sometimes my fingers just don't type what my head knows is right!

   Mike Hennessy

2. 
   JiminFla | Feb 09, 2006 09:02pm | #6

   Thanks for the advice.  I misted it last night and could see it straightening within a few minutes.  After it was almost dry I laid it flat on the floor with some weight on it.  I think this will do the trick.