Replies

1. 
   notDusty | Sep 15, 2004 10:36pm | #1

              SamRaymond ,

       My first thought is : did both the top and the bottom get sanded ?  Next , did the panel get subjected to a more moist environment after it was glued up ? One time I left some Oak panels in the back of my van during a wet time of year and it took about a day or so and they all warped in the same direction .I always try and orient the growth rings opposite , but placing the boards so they look good is often times the way they go .

                     good  luck                  dusty

2. 
   Dan019 | Sep 15, 2004 11:15pm | #2

   This subject is argued over, passionately, from both schools of thought in any woodworking magazine you care to read (if you go back far enough in the past), so IMO pick which ever way suits you. I personally go with which boards look best together.

   As for your cupping problem, your in luck as far as the seasons go as it's still warm during the day. Lay your glue-up on the grass, cup side down, and as the sun warms it up and draws the morning dew thru your board it will start to cup in the other direction. Pick up the board when the cup is gone.

   Dan

    

1. 
   Julie1 | Sep 17, 2004 03:48pm | #3

   I did'nt know you could reverse the cupping. I thought if you did something like that you would split the wood. I guess we learn something new every day. :)

   We have an Oak "step board" under the screen door that is cupped. It has already been sealed and it's been there all summer. Could we still take it out, put it on the grass and have at least most of the cup fixed?

1. 
   JohnWW | Sep 17, 2004 04:22pm | #4

   Julie,

   Eliminating the cup of a board by adding moisture to one face will only last a short while, as soon as the moisture content of the board evens out again, the cup will return, usually within a few hours.  The trick is useful at times to flatten out a panel so it can be fitted into a frame or otherwise worked with, but the effect is quite temporary.

   As I often recommend, Bruce Hoadley's book, "Understanding Wood" is a must read for anyone who wants to build furniture.  There is nothing mystical about why wood warps or how to deal with it, it is very simple in fact.

   John W.

1. 
   scooter1 | Sep 19, 2004 04:31am | #5

   I match to best face; and spend a good deal of time trying to get a well jointed edge. This is not as easy for me as it should be I guess. I use bisquits and only glue up 2 boards at a time, applying slight pressure, not too much. I alternate the clamps from each side and use a heavy piece of 4x4 on each end to really flatten the boards, too.

   Too much clamp pressure will cup a board to the extent that even a wide belt sander will not take it out, e.g., too much internal pressure.

   My two cents.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

3. 
   BarryR | Sep 19, 2004 06:33am | #6

   Did you happen to leave it flat on your bench or the floor?  Exposing one side to the air while one side is protected may cause a board to cup.  Standing it up on edge or laying it across a a couple of pieces of wood may make it straighten out.  Applying finish to one side only is an invitation to cupping.  Maybe that's what happened to your step board.