# Fixing warped wood?



## mackman (Mar 2, 2016)

So...despite the excellent advice given here, some total idiot (myself) did NOT do a good job stickering his wood. I'd say about 3/4 of each individual board is in great shape, maybe even 4/5...but a lot of the boards were significantly warped where I didn't place the stickers out far enough (see picture). 

My question: Is there any way to correct this at this stage? It's been a few months in all the heat and dryness that comes with a CA Central Valley summer, so I'd say the boards are nearly dried. Will a simple re-stack with better stickering accomplish something in the next month? Should I soak the boards with a hose? Will I need to build a steam box and individually steam each board? I don't want to sacrifice that much of each board, so any advice at all will be much appreciated.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

A lot depends on how long it has sat with the sticks in the wrong place. If it still has a lot of drying to do them you could probably re-stack it and let it sit a little longer than you would otherwise. If you think it's nearly dry you may need to steam it. Would be safer to use the bad boards for short parts or maybe replace the wood.


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## mackman (Mar 2, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> A lot depends on how long it has sat with the sticks in the wrong place. If it still has a lot of drying to do them you could probably re-stack it and let it sit a little longer than you would otherwise. If you think it's nearly dry you may need to steam it. Would be safer to use the bad boards for short parts or maybe replace the wood.


I'm pretty sure it's nearly completely dry. I'll try steaming it. How hard could it be?


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

mackman said:


> I'm pretty sure it's nearly completely dry. I'll try steaming it. How hard could it be?


"How hard could it be?" 

heh ... that is right up there with "Watch this ... hold my beer"


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Chris Curl said:


> "How hard could it be?"
> 
> heh ... that is right up there with "Watch this ... hold my beer"


I think it's higher really. Least when someone tells you to hold their beer you know something bads about to happen, when someone asks "how hard could it be" then goes to change their brake pads, who knows what may happen


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

I think it's toooooo late IMO !!! cut out your bad and mark it up as knowledge learned the hard way!!!! Dry already???? Awful quick IMO...but could be...meter it, that's the only way when speed drying.


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## mackman (Mar 2, 2016)

Tennessee Tim said:


> I think it's toooooo late IMO !!! cut out your bad and mark it up as knowledge learned the hard way!!!! Dry already???? Awful quick IMO...but could be...meter it, that's the only way when speed drying.


Well, like I mentioned, I'm here in the central valley of California, where everything is bone dry and it's a beautiful, cool summer's day when it doesn't break 100 degrees. Our miller told us that he was pretty sure just one Summer would be sufficient to dry out the 1-inchers. 

To clarify: Do you think it's too late even with steaming the wood? I mean, people bend wood into all kinds of crazy curves, and I can't correct half an inch of warp?!


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

mackman said:


> Well, like I mentioned, I'm here in the central valley of California, where everything is bone dry and it's a beautiful, cool summer's day when it doesn't break 100 degrees. Our miller told us that he was pretty sure just one Summer would be sufficient to dry out the 1-inchers.
> 
> To clarify: Do you think it's too late even with steaming the wood? I mean, people bend wood into all kinds of crazy curves, and I can't correct half an inch of warp?!


Wood bends, but it doesnt much like bending back. Look at something like old English longbows. Those started off as straight lengths of wood, but they sure didnt stay that way. Sure, you can bend a warped piece of wood back straight, but its just gonna bend right back later


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

chris curl said:


> "how hard could it be?"
> 
> heh ... That is right up there with "watch this ... Hold my beer"



lol!!!!


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

I have had fair success using this method. place the warped board concave face down onto moist ground (after a rain is good) and when the sun is high an strong. check it every 1/2 hour or so. you want to over-correct it somewhat as it will go back some.
it hasn't worked every time - depends on the wood it seems. thinner goes faster.


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## mackman (Mar 2, 2016)

TimPa said:


> I have had fair success using this method. place the warped board concave face down onto moist ground (after a rain is good) and when the sun is high an strong. check it every 1/2 hour or so. you want to over-correct it somewhat as it will go back some.
> it hasn't worked every time - depends on the wood it seems. thinner goes faster.


I was actually thinking of trying something like that. It's going to be over 100 degrees here tomorrow, so I was thinking of soaking a board or two overnight, then covering it with plastic and clamping it flat for most of tomorrow (maybe with a couple shims to "over-correct" where needed). Worth a shot?


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## mackman (Mar 2, 2016)

Well, here goes nothing. Last night I soaked one of the boards, and this morning I have it wrapped in plastic (with stickers allowing air flow inside) with a lot of cinder blocks stacked on top. Today's not the best day in the world for it...it's only going to reach 100 degrees with not a ton of direct sunlight...but we'll see how the board is looking this evening.


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## mackman (Mar 2, 2016)

So...it worked? At least initially. The first day under the plastic was overcast the entire day, so I left it in there today as well. And when I unstacked the cinder blocks and pulled it out, it was a LOT straighter than it was going in. I now have another board soaking, while the first one is drying under an equal number of cinder blocks. 

For the next one, I think I'll try a couple shims to "over-correct" before stacking the blocks, but for now I'm pretty happy. It was cut at a full 4/4, so I don't need it 100% flawless...I just need it straight enough that it will plane out into a straight 3/4, and I THINK this will accomplish that.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

mackman said:


> So...it worked? At least initially. The first day under the plastic was overcast the entire day, so I left it in there today as well. And when I unstacked the cinder blocks and pulled it out, it was a LOT straighter than it was going in. I now have another board soaking, while the first one is drying under an equal number of cinder blocks.
> 
> For the next one, I think I'll try a couple shims to "over-correct" before stacking the blocks, but for now I'm pretty happy. It was cut at a full 4/4, so I don't need it 100% flawless...I just need it straight enough that it will plane out into a straight 3/4, and I THINK this will accomplish that.


You'll still have to be careful how you use those boards. Wood has pretty good shape memory, it's entirely possible that as soon as you go to machine the straightened pieces the internal stresses will just flex it right back to a pretzel


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## mackman (Mar 2, 2016)

epicfail48 said:


> You'll still have to be careful how you use those boards. Wood has pretty good shape memory, it's entirely possible that as soon as you go to machine the straightened pieces the internal stresses will just flex it right back to a pretzel


I'm definitely keeping that in mind. I'll guess I'll see what happens to the first couple of pieces when I plane them in a month or so.


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