# Why does wooden dowel sometimes warp or twist after being cut from a larger piece?



## woodworker10 (Jul 7, 2012)

I have a stable straight length of dense wood sized 2x4 and 3 feet in length. It is age dried for 10+ years. Half inch round dowels are cut from this block. Approximately 20% of these dowels later twist or warp.

What is happening structurally that causes these dowels to twist? Is there any treatment that the larger uncut board can be put through so that once it is cut, the smaller section or dowels do not twist and warp?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*The internal stresses are relieved when cut*

Even the most stable wood may warp when broken down into smaller lengths depending on how and where the piece was located in the tree. 
There's a great book "Understanding Wood" by Bruce Hoadley that really does a nice job of explaining this. Usually quartersawn is very stable, when making dowels I'm not sure there is any guaranteed method of sawing that will give great results. Others may know more.... :blink: bill

Amazon.com: Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology (9781561583584): R. Bruce Hoadley: Books


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

woodworker10 said:


> I have a stable straight length of dense wood sized 2x4 and 3 feet in length. It is age dried for 10+ years. Half inch round dowels are cut from this block. Approximately 20% of these dowels later twist or warp.
> 
> What is happening structurally that causes these dowels to twist? Is there any treatment that the larger uncut board can be put through so that once it is cut, the smaller section or dowels do not twist and warp?


Specifically, a dowel was machined from wider stock. An inner section of the wood became exposed to the air. Grain differential from the wider stock to the inner section can account for how the newly machined dowel will react.









 





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## woodworker10 (Jul 7, 2012)

cabinetman said:


> Specifically, a dowel was machined from wider stock. An inner section of the wood became exposed to the air. Grain differential from the wider stock to the inner section can account for how the newly machined dowel will react.
> 
> 
> .


Thanks for the response. What do you mean by grain differential? Also, is there any treatment I can do to the wider stock before cutting to prevent the inner section from twisting once exposed? This is an extremely dense wood and has been aged inside a basement for many years.


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