Replies

1. 
   BG | Aug 30, 2002 01:39pm | #1

   Donny,

   Your supposed to bring chalk, measuring tape, moisture meter, small hand plane, small pad and pencil, money and do both at the lumber yard.  Your objective is to try to find pieces from the same tree...and /or a grain pattern that is kinda matching on consecutive pieces.

   The articles / books go on to say, you chalk out the board that will be cut from the wood.  They also suggest planing the end grain to see which way its going and testing the moisture.  There was a good article on wood sleuthing two issues ago in FW.

   It would seem buying wood in large lots from a single source helps insure the availability of a high quality match. Of course it is also reasonable to assume truly high quality pieces get pulled and held for special customers.

   My knowledge comes from what I have read, not what I have done.  I'm sure others here will offer real life suggestions.  Good luck

   
   

   ---

   Edited 8/30/2002 7:38:11 AM ET by BG

2. 
   gpasewicz | Aug 30, 2002 04:26pm | #2

   Some people say you should alternate the growth rings (one board up, one board down) to minimize warp. 

1. 
   davamoore | Sep 11, 2002 10:35pm | #3

   Alternating the growth rings won't minimize the warp, per se, it'll just minimize the warp in a single direction.  For example, if all the growth rings are facing the same direction prior to the glue up, you might end up with one big, curved board.  On the other hand, the same individual boards laid side-by-side, with the rings in alternate directions, might still warp -- they'll just each warp in an opposite direction and possibly cause a "ripple" effect across the larger, glued-up board.

   As is often the case in dealing with wood, there's no perfect answer, just preferences.  Of course, for my money, it's easier to plane out the smaller ripples if they occur, rather than try to flatten a big curved board.

   Oh, and one more hard-learned lesson from a relative beginner:  Whether you choose to alternate the growth rings or not, when deciding which boards to put where before your glue-up, try to make sure that the grain rises in the same direction from one end of all the boards to the other.  This makes it a heck of a lot easier to do finish planing or scraping without creating tearout.  If, for aesthetic reasons, you need to use particular board faces that won't give you the advantage of grain rising in the same direction, just use care when planing or scraping.

   DavidHmmm... the garden or the workshop today?

2. 
   bill_1010 | Oct 02, 2002 05:11am | #5

   best way to minimize warp is to make sure you finish the top on all sides.  Meaning if you put varnish on the top put some varnish on the bottom.  Bottom doesnt have to be showroom perfect, only enough to equalize the moisture transfer.  wet wood on the bottom, and dry on the top will cup a board.

3. 
   DouglasABaker | Oct 01, 2002 09:25pm | #4

   Get one really thick board and resaw it into however many pieces you need.

   What?  Everyone doesn't have access to 8" wide 12" thick pieces of wood? Damn, me neither...

   So.... after much searching, I have found two places (one lumber mill and one "reclaimer") who will help me sort through the pieces, and essentially do what was suggested below - check out a number of different boards until I find ones that have consistent color and grain pattern (in that order of preference) for whatever I'm doing.

   One thing to keep in mind is that all the pieces of the table don't all have to match - if your aprons or legs are slightly off color, or have a different grain, no one will ever notice...

   Doug