My father in law just received some beautiful wormy maple. But, unfortunately it’s a bit warped and twisted. They guy he got it from ran it through a planer without first flattening one side with a jointer so the thickness is already down to 3/4 inches. He’d like to straighten it without losing more thickness. The only way I know how to do it is soak it in water then using weights or clamps, force it into a straight position (or slightly past straight) and let it re-dry for a few days/weeks.
Any other suggestions? The boards are about 12″ wide and 4-6′ long.
Replies
I hate to say it, but I really don't thin there is a good or reliable way to straighten boards (and kkep them that way) without losing thickness.
If you like the wormy figure, perhaps you can straighten them and then glue tham to some plain maple boards in order to achieve whatever thickness you desire.
WW 101, wait until you have a project before you do anything!
A flat board will not stay flat... and a properly jointed board may twist and bend once you start to cut it.
When I prep my stock, I cut each part, a little oversized, and then mill it. This allows you to maximize your material... by minimizing the material you have to remove. That little twist may not be anything once you size your parts.
For example, if I were making a door out of that board, I would:
If possible, never completely mill your stock before you start cutting your parts. I always try to break the boards down, as much as possible, before hand.
Take a look at Charles Neil's blog at:
http://intheworkshop.wordpress.com/
and scroll down to the April 1, entry. He talks about straigtening a bowed board. It may help.
Neil is a woodworker in New Market, VA and you may have seen many of his videos on YouTube and on GlueTube.
Jeff
Regarding the blog post: Certainly if one is willing to kerf the wood to within a few millimeters of the show side then, yes, a board can be straightened. What you have at that point would not really be solid wood. You can kerf it and bend it to a pretty tight diameter as well.I'm not dismissing the strategy, just trying to put it into context.
What you are saying is basically true and this technique is more of an emergency technique. However, this thread sounded like they are trying to salvage some very nice wood that is beyond the normal jointing and planing process. If used to fix a board in a way that the kerf cannot be seen, then I think the argument about not being 'solid wood' anymore is mute. Again, this technique would not be used in normal practice but might save your project if that beautiful figured door stile suddenly bowed!
Jeff
The word you are looking for is not "mute" but "moot." I see (and hear) this mistake so often it makes my freakin' skin crawl. However, I don't think the point I made was moot, unless of course the poster has already kerfed the wood. Then it would be moot (or maybe not even then).moot - 13 dictionary results
moot
1 /mut/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [moot] Show IPA
–adjective
1. open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful: a moot point.
2. of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic.
3. Chiefly Law. not actual; theoretical; hypothetical.
verb (used with object)
4. to present or introduce (any point, subject, project, etc.) for discussion.
5. to reduce or remove the practical significance of; make purely theoretical or academic.
6. Archaic. to argue (a case), esp. in a mock court.Yes, one can kerf wood and make it do practically anything. Again, just putting the technique into context.
Edited 4/15/2009 8:57 am ET by BossCrunk
I think about mute points every time I loose my keys. But I try to be discrete with it.
-Steve
Great advice T.
Tom.
Thanks to all for your advice. His final solution is to use them in a way that will force them flat. He now understands the importance of following the whole process rather than going right to the planer first because if you plane a crooked board, you'll just end up with a very smooth crooked board (I of course had to learn this the expensive way over the years).
The spline idea from the blog was interesting - I'll have to remember that one. I watched Norm do this to fix a cup one time on a wide board, but it was interesting that a similar technique could be used to fix a bend across the length too.
Knots to the rescue again!
I've never yet come across a reliable way to flatten boards, and I've been "around the block" a few times.
If he can use them in a way that forces the flat, then fine. But trying to straighten them as you suggest will be a waste of time. You'll fool around with them and they will never end up flat. Just take them to the jointer and be done with it.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1
If the wood is that beautiful, I'd wait until I had a project in mind, and then flatten again. Plane to whatever thickness is left, and cut veneer out of it, which can make up for the lost thickness.
Jeff
The wood is quite interesting. It is wormy maple with worming that looks very much like wormy chestnut. Anyone ever seen anything like this? I didn't know it existed.
Does the wood have stain in the grain lines around the worm holes? If so it's called ambrosia maple amd is indeed beautiful!
Dick
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