I am making small boxes and using 1/4 in walnet for the lids. The piece that I used is slightly bowed and impairs the hinge fitting and lid closing flat (the small bow makes it look bad). I laid the bowed side on a wet newspaper and applied heat to the topside of the bow and it corrected the bow, but after a few days it returned. Any way to keep it from returning to the bow?
~~Mike
Replies
proven technique
Sorry, but the best way to keep the bow off of the box is to put the bowed lid in the scrap wood bin and start over.
Forrest
Sad but true
Changing the moisture content in wood to get it to fit will only work if the piece is supported by structure to hold it in place. Of course at that point you can just force it into place.
You probably have a piece of wood that is partially or mostly flat sawn. Walnut is one of the more stable woods after drying, but it will move. A thin piece like that will be particularly susceptible to moisture, which is why the wet towels and heat moved it flat again fairly quickly.
If you must use solid stock, try to select a piece with more vertical grain, quarter sawn or rift sawn will work. The flatter the grain, the more susceptable the piece will be to warpage and cupping due to moisture.
the wood dries back and get into its original tention to which it reacts with bowing. What you can do (as with decking boards) is to cut the board and two pieces. Or if you want to keep the entire piece and there is a possibility for fastening it with screws you can use a tool called bowrench.
Really?
Interesting. Can you describe the proper technique of using a bowrench on a jewelry box lid made of 1/4 inch thick walnut?
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