# Fixing a warp



## DaveEmCee (Oct 26, 2010)

I'm building set of cabinets for my mudroom out of birch ply for the boxes, with doors that are simple stile & rail (aspen) mortised for a 1/2" birch panel. After I finished constructing the doors, I noticed that a few of them were slightly warped. I clamped one end of one of the doors to my workbench, put a piece of 1x under the low corner, and clamped the other corner down to persuade the door back to flat.

After 24 hours in the clamps, there was no difference. So I did it again but this time I spritzed the back of the door with water from a spray bottle. Twenty-four hours later, I removed the clamps and the door was perfectly flat, so I repeated it with the other 3.

Then I stained them & did 3 poly coats, and now they're slightly warped again. Is it possible to permanently remove the warp? I'm afraid to spray them again now that they're stained, and since they're pretty well sealed at this point I don't think the water do anything anyway. I suspect they warped in the first place because aspen's pretty soft; I should have used a harder wood.

Any suggestions?


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

How did You mill your parts. Face join stile and rails. We need more info to help you on future endeavours. As for the one your on it's too late


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## DaveEmCee (Oct 26, 2010)

The boxes are 3/4 birch with rabbets cut out for the back and top; dadoes for the shelves. The face frame is aspen constructed with pocket screws and attached to the boxes with biscuits. The door frames are mortised and tenoned. So are my warped doors unfixable at this point?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Clamping to flatten is hit or miss. I'm thinkin' that your present problem will persist. I've had better luck with overbending with the hopes that it will return to flat. Sometimes they do and then there are those other times.












 









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## Gerald (Aug 21, 2008)

DaveEmCee said:


> I suspect they warped in the first place because aspen's pretty soft; I should have used a harder wood.
> 
> Any suggestions?


Hardwood will warp also. 
I do a couple of things when doing a project like this. 
Lumber must be dry to start with.
Make sure to let the wood accliment to the room before milling and use quarter sawn or rift sawn for door frames when possible. QS and RS lumber is much more stable than flat sawn.

Sounds like you already tried the trick I am aware of. Did you finish the inside, outside and all edges of the doors? If not that can cause a problem also. Sorry I don't have a trick to help you out.
Good Luck


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## sketel (Sep 15, 2010)

I would assume that your warp is caused by stress and is not related to moisture content. That means you have little chance of removing it and there is nothing you can really do to prevent it on your next project. If a board has stress in it, it can be flat and straight as a larger board but once you start cutting it, it will bow and twist. Rough cut your material oversized to allow enough room to straighten it back out with the jointer.


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## Jordy3738 (Jan 12, 2009)

This is a long shot, but I'll say it anyway. When wood is finished with sealers, stain and clear coats, it's important to have the same amount of coats on both sides of the doors.

What would happen if you added a couple of more coats to one side of the doors?


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## Vivike (Mar 28, 2011)

MastersHand said:


> How did You mill your parts. Face join stile and rails. We need more info to help you on future endeavours. As for the one your on it's too late


I am new to this forum and want to know that what is this forum all about... I want to know... That what all can be done over here.. !!


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## sausagefingers (Oct 1, 2008)

Crap happens...that's the easiest explanation. I've made multiple doors for one cabinet that all kept warping. I think I had just angered the trim gods and they were punishing me.


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