Replies

1. 
   Kell | Mar 18, 2004 12:21am | #1

   It sounds like this piece of stock from which you cut had been drying for only 3 months.  If so, it wasn't dry by any means.  If it came to your shop kiln dried already, it may have reached a fairly low moisture content but my experience in working with 12/4 or 16/4 stock is that you will get some movement after resawing.  I typically leave it sit, stickered in my shop for a week or so after cutting and before milling to finished dimension.

   Kell

1. 
   BG | Mar 18, 2004 01:08am | #2

   Kell,

   My sense is the piece of stock was kilm dried....the twist was in two of the pieces and not in the other two.  So I'm thinking this is a reaction to internal stress? ..rather than moisture?  ...and if it is stress related, how should I wait before re-leveling? is a week on stickers enough in this case?  

1. 
   MichaelPB | Mar 18, 2004 03:25am | #3

   Since thinner walnut is cheaper and readily available, why buy thick slabs and resaw it? 

   As for drying, air drying on gunstocks blanks is 5 years...

1. 
   BG | Mar 18, 2004 03:50am | #4

   Michael,

   I happened on this black walnut for free..and was going to save it for table legs or something like that.  But, I saw an interesting chess board and figured it was just enough to build that too.

1. 
   MichaelPB | Mar 18, 2004 04:36am | #5

   I wasn't trying to be a smart ####!  Just wondered why, free wood being as good a reason as any!

   Michael

2. 
   Kell | Mar 18, 2004 03:17pm | #6

   I'm not sure what the right answer is but I think waiting a week with pieces that thin should be long enough.

   As to why it twisted in the first place, it could be internal stresses.  Were the two pieces that warped closer to the center of the piece than those that didn't?  If so, I'm thinking it's more likely moisture change.  If not, internal stress would be indicated.  Perhaps Jon Arno could weigh in.

   In any case, good luck!

   Kell

1. 
   BG | Mar 18, 2004 04:27pm | #7

   Kell,

   I'm fairly certain the two pieces that warped were from the outside of the stock (as opposed to the interior of the stock)...I'm positive at least one piece was.  I resawed the two outer faces, re-planed flat one side and re-sawed again from that side.  The twist appeared the next morning. It planed so beautifully.

   The grain is straight but runs diagonally down the lenght...I think the twist followes the grain ...

   I have another chunk to slab up (from the same piece) and it'll be a real pain if it twists.  I need 4 pieces with a final thickness of 3/4"..and I have a 4" thick piece...so there is not a lot of room for twist.  If there was somthing I could read in the grain, perhaps I could cheat on certain cuts and allow more wood movement on other pieces....

1. 
   jackplane | Mar 18, 2004 08:05pm | #8

   "the wood was dry"

    Dry is a relative term. Since this walnut is for furniture, it should be in the 6-12 % moisture content range. The thinner you mill it, the more likely it is to warp. Try to keep the lumber in a stable environment and check it with a moisture meter.