Replies

1. 
   Rich14 | Jan 03, 2005 05:57am | #1

   Duke,

   Did you receive the board flat from the lumber supplier or did you do some work on it and let it sit?

   If it was flat when you received it and you worked it, you may have caused uneven stress which resulted in the movement. If that's the case, removing material from the face opposite the one you worked might help. On the other hand, you may have simply uncovered reaction wood or case hardening.

   If the board has warped from a flat state without any work on it by you, or if it is case hardened or is reaction wood, there is nothing you can do to make it flat. In fact, it may warp more. I doubt that any manner of bending it in the opposite direction will work over time.

   If it hasn't moved in several months, it may be stable in its current state meaning you'll either have to joint it flat, losing an awful lot of thickness, or consider cutting it into smaller lengths, joint them flat (conserving thickness) and do some finger-jointery, or spline jointery to achieve the length you need.

   Rich

   
   

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   Edited 1/2/2005 9:59 pm ET by Rich14

1. 
   dukeone | Jan 03, 2005 05:19pm | #2

   Rich: I haven't touched the board since it arrived and it was straight when it got here. I've got sooo much to learn!! You don't think leaving it on edge had something to do with it? Using it for smaller pieces thus conserving some of it by not having to joint so much off each board will ease the pain somewhat. Is this kind of wood behavior more common with figured wood? Is there a way to know when the boards are finally stable? It would really be a shame if it warped after a project was finished.
   Thanks again, KDM

   Kenneth Duke Masters

   The Bill of Rights December 15 1791

   NRA Endowment Member

   LEAA Life Member

   CRPA Member

1. 
   Rich14 | Jan 03, 2005 06:42pm | #4

   Duke,Storing it on its edge did not cause the problem. It sounds as though the board was not stable when it arrived. Flat (stable) boards can warp if they are moved from their environment of stability to one of different atmospheric moisture and stored so that one surface does not get as much air circulation as the other. Such a board will return to flat if air is circulated over both surfaces. Placing a weight on your board will not flatten it, but making sure both surfaces are getting free air circulation will, if it was flat and stable when you got it. Is it getting free air circulation in your shop? Is the humidity fluctuating where it's stored?If it was not stable when it arrived, there is nothing more to do but plane it flat, or try cutting as suggested. However, if it was not stable, the chances of it warping further as you remove material from one surface or the other still remains.You probably have about 10 bd-ft worth of warped 6/4 cherry on your hands. I would take it back to my lumber man. Highly figured wood has more potential for warping than straight-grained, but he should stand behind the stock he sells as stable before it's ready for sale. Only buy boards that have been in his shop for several months and that are flat as they sit stickered.Rich

2. 
   VomSorb | Jan 03, 2005 05:25pm | #3

   It ain't gonna move friend.  Plane it flat or buy another piece.