I am putting together a cross-cut sled for my tablesaw. The local home store only sells MDF in like 50 square foot sheets and I drive a little family car so I went with 1/2″ birch ply instead, from what i’ve read it’s good enough for such things. Well, I got it home and cut it down and went to put it all together but I couldn’t get it square, turns out the ply itself is warped! I layed it flat and placed 45lbs worth of free weights on it but I was under the impression birch ply was near indestructable so i’m wandering if it’s even possible to straighten it out, and if so how long should I leave the weights on it? Would I be better off buying a new piece?
Thanks in advance!
~Malice
Replies
Sounds like you got some of that real special imported ply the big-box stores are selling. How many plies in your 1/2" thickness??
Ugh, asian ply? Isn't there anything made in the US anymore? There are 3 layers to the ply and no overlapping that I see, though there was a 1/8" wide gap in one layer I found after cutting it but was able to avoid using that section. The warping is to such a small degree that even knowing it's there I still can't see it by looking at it, but it just will not square up.
There are a ton of cabinet makers around here at the moment, so many have popped up since Katrina, but I didn't know you could buy wood from them. Guess I can start calling around, or take a drive out to Mobile AL and go to the Woodcraft store they have over there... anyone have any experience with that place?
~Malice
One of the largest North American producers is Columbia. Their website at http://www.columbiaforestproducts.com should give you a list of distributors. Here in Canada they sell it at most HDs, but I guess not in the US. Their ply usually has their name printed on the edge. Baltic birch is better for your purpose, but harder to find. It comes in various grades, but the few suppliers I know tend to stock only one. It's shipped in different sizes, either 5' x 10' or 5' x 5', and may be sold cut down to e.g. 30" x 30." The size can give you a clue as to whether or not it's European.
Jim
The stories about China-/Asian-made ply started up about a year ago, maybe a little more. Cheap and squirrely.
Reading between the lines, I get the feeling maybe you have confused plain old Birch playwood with Baltic Birch, which is a completely different (and better animal. Baltic Birch has many more plies per given thickness, and is manufactured to provide a very stable product, making it excellent for jigs and such. There is also Finnish Birch, which uses exterior glue.
If you Google on (Baltic,Finnish) birch plywood, you'll find online sources. Here is one link where they give a little primer on these plywoods. I used to have a better link, but can't find it right now.http://www.insidewoodworking.com/lumber/balticbirchplywood.htmlforestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
The Woodcraft store in Mobile, AL doesn't have a big selection of plywood, mostly small "hobby" pieces of the really good stuff. They do have a good selection of lumber though.
Have to agree with Forestgirl, that Chinese plywood will tie itself in knots as soon as your back is turned. Take a good look at the edges, any dark-colored plies, or overlapped plies? Is there a custom cabinet shop or millworks near you? You might be able to buy a half-sheet of 'good stuff' from them, but be prepared for sticker shock.
Edited 4/27/2008 11:31 pm ET by Ray
Oh lordy! That is a real problem. It is getting harder and harder to find non asian plywood. And the problem IS the asian ply.
My usual supplier of "quality" woods, including plys, sold me stuff that twisted like a pretzel when cut. I am talking about plywood here. And this is after I had specifically asked for non asian product.
Note: the smell was a first indicator when sawing. There was a different, and I cannot say bad, but really bizarre smell to the residual dust. (Can't tell you how concerned I am about what went into my lungs). Now I am going to ask for proof of origin.
Not that I would know what to look for.
Is the anyone here who could tell us how to identify North American (or European) manufactured plywood?
All help would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Peter
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Look for a plywood supplier in your area. They usually will sell to homeowners and hobbyists. My supplier calls it imported ply. It's not good for much. The guys that are using it are usually using for built in construction where it's glued and screwed then attached to the walls. Ask for domestic plywood.
Second and more importantly. What you want for jigs and fixtures is "Baltic Birch." It comes in 5' x 5' sheets. Not just Birch plywood. I know that some lumber yards carry it not just plywood suppliers. Stock Products formerly Terry Lumber has it. If they are in your area.
Hope this helps.
Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Well, I spent most of the morning on the phone with all of the local lumber yards, hobby stores, home stores, etc etc in the tri-county radius and no one carries domestic birch ply. One said they could order it but only in those massive sheets at $50 a pop. I could never use, not to mention transport and store that dang much! Not one can even get ahold of baltic birch, which I already knew because it is the next best thing after basswood for wood burning (my trade skill) and I have looked for it before with no luck.
So I am left to search the net, which scares the hell out of me cuz you never know what your gonna get til you get it! Does anyone have any recommendations for where to look and what to look out for when purchasing wood online? I hate not being able to put my hands on something before I hand over my money :( There are soooo many sites online, it's dizzying.
Thanks for all the feedback! 3 days into my FWW free trial and I am wondering how I ever got along without this place, thank you all so much! I'll be a member for life!
~Malice
If your just looking for small amounts of Baltic Birch, then you can buy it from Woodcraft or Rockler.
Forgive me for my ignorance. When you say "Tri-county area" Where is that exactly?
Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
Edited 4/28/2008 4:32 pm by Len
"Tri-county" simply means in the 3 surrounding counties, which here on the Mississippi gulf coast reaches from the Mississippi / Louisianna line to Mobile, Alabama.
I did go check woodcraft's site again and found the small portions of baltic birch, which I didn't see before because it isn't listed in the "wood" section (go figure), I found it using the search field. They have a Woodcraft in Mobile about 50 miles away so I think i'll take a road trip over there to save on shipping costs...though with gas prices what they are it may be cheaper to have it shipped LOL.
~Malice
Malice,
There is nothing set in stone dictating birch ply (or baltic birch ply for that matter) as the only suitable base material for a sled. I have used MDF, 5/8 particle board, and once even 1/4 Plexiglass. If you were to purchase a 4 x 8 sheet of MDF at Home Creepo, they would probably cut it into several manageable pieces for you. Take it home in your car and you have the makings for a sled. Just my 0.02.
Sorry you have been stuck with the China Birch Syndrome. Nasty stuff, but, like I tell the guys down at the lumber yard, it is a great bargain if you are not going to cut it or use it for anything....
Best!
-nazard
"like I tell the guys down at the lumber yard, it is a great bargain if you are not going to cut it or use it for anything...."
LOL! I will have to remember that.
I do have a new piece of particle board out there and saw a pic of a sled made with it on another nameless woodworking site but didn't think it was technically a stable enough material. I can't count how many cheap particle board pieces of furniture I have seen sag after a little while's use. How did yours hold up with time? I suppose being attached to the fences might keep it stable longer?
I'm still holding out hope the ply will straighten out after a few days with the free weights sitting on it, but if not I went ahead and ordered some baltic from woodcraft just incase, I can never have enough of that laying around for my business :) As for the MDF, that's just way more material than I will ever find a use for and I have enough crap in my shop as it is.
~Malice
Hope you got a good price on the baltic. Here in Ontario it just went to $38 from $27 for a 5 x 5 sheet of half-inch. Odd because the price of hardwood is dropping. I suppose it has something to do with the exchange rate.
Jim
Malice,
I made two particle board sleds several years ago and they still work just fine. I must confess that I do not use them that often: I have a RAS set to cut only at ~90, and a CMS for miters. Anything that will not work with my Kreg TS miter gauge generally go to one of those other tools. The sleds get all kinds of jigs and things attached to them for more adventuresome wood-whacking, BUT, before I bought the Kreg and got the RAS set up properly, I used the sleds every day.
Best of luck!
-nazard
Your going to be waiting forever. LOL. I had bought some of that stuff for a project and as soon as I cut it it moved. Twisted, warped and bowed all in the same piece. I loaded the cut pieces back into the truck and took it back. My supplier took one look at it and said... Well, it wouldn't be polite to repeat. They took it back and provided me with domestic grade. They told me they were shipping three full pallets back to their supplier.
Particle board / MDF shouldn't warp unless it gets wet. It's all over if it gets wet. I use MDF for all types of jigs. I sometimes seal it with sanding sealer. Unless you sled hangs off the table a large amount, then it should stay flat.
I used to live in a place that took 45 minutes to get to Toy R Us. There wasn't a big box store to be found. I made friends with a local cabinet shop and they were all to happy to give me scrap or let me tag along an extra piece of plywood when they ordered. It did cost me pizza and beer now and then. But it got me something that I can never replace. "Life long friends"Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
I used to live in a place that took 45 minutes to get to Toy R Us. There wasn't a big box store to be found. I made friends with a local cabinet shop and they were all to happy to give me scrap or let me tag along an extra piece of plywood when they ordered. It did cost me pizza and beer now and then. But it got me something that I can never replace. "Life long friends"
I wish I could give that a try, but my husband doesn't "let" me have friends LOL! Besides, down here in the south i'm not so sure too many cabinet shops would take a woman seriously with such a request, it'd take a LOT of beer to persuade the guys around here ;) I have enough trouble with the guys at lowe's taking me seriously, they always assume i'm trying to buy tools for my husband and they can get rid of me quickly... I tell people he is a brilliant man but he couldn't "fix" a sandwich!
~Malice
"I have enough trouble with the guys at lowe's taking me seriously, they always assume i'm trying to buy tools for my husband and they can get rid of me quickly"
I have a hard time taking most of the guys at Lowes seriously. ROLF. I once had to interfere with a sales person at Lowes. He was telling a woman that she had to buy the precut 1/4 sheets to fit the her sander. Boy, did I get a look when I told her she could go over to the paint department and buy a full sheet and cut it into quarters. But in all fairness, all be it rare, I have run into knowledgable people at big box stores.
BTW. Big box stores will cut sheet goods cut is free and they charge 50 cents to a dollar for each cut after. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
I have yet to find a knowledgable employee at lowe's BUT, atleast I can find folks there who are willing to try or atleast pretend to know what they are doing... at Home Depot I can't ever FIND an employee, and when I do they pretend not to hear me calling them and hurry away... I hate that place with a passion!
~Malice
I don't want to turn this into a big box bash. I have two HD within 5 miles of each other. One is well stocked and even carries maple. It caters to the contractor. The other is known as the "Chick Home Depot" (No offense intended) It doesn't even carry a complete selection of sandpaper. I'm sure this HD came to be because Lowes moved in and is exactly halfway in between. Someone always come up to me and ask if I need help. Maybe because I look like I'm going to shoplift. LOL.
Now getting back to your dilema. Have you asked Bioxli lumber if they know of a plywood supplier? Also a local boat builder might be able to give you a lead. I found this web site
http://www.glen-l.com/resources/lumber-suppliers.html
Surface planers have come down in price. It might be worth considering one.
Sorry, if this is no help. I got up way to early and couldn't go back to sleep. Looks like a nap is in my future. Enjoy your day. Len
"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox
The other is known as the "Chick Home Depot" (No offense intended) It doesn't even carry a complete selection of sandpaper.
LOL - None taken... i'm not a typical chic :)
I haven't asked Biloxi lumber about plywood, I haven't been back there in awhile knowing I couldn't plane anything they had. A planer is the next tool on my list, but my hubby's dirty golf habit is killing my shop budget! I did find a plywood mfg here on the coast but they do not sell retail. I hadn't thought of the marine builder option, but most of the builders here are huge companies like Trinity yachts and Halter marine, but i'm going to ask my neighbor, he sells boats, he might know of somewhere I can check.
You have been very helpful Len, thank you so much for your input and I hope you have a great nap!
~Malice
I'm happiest in a big-box store when no one tries to help me and I can snoop around undisturbed. I had to get a car battery replaced at Sears yesterday, so wandered over to Lowe's next door, and all of the plywood was from China. It was awful stuff. That's been consistently my experience with plywood at Lowe's.In my experience, the situation at Home Depot is a little more complicated. There may be regional variations—and I have no idea how much discretion individual stores have in what ply they stock—but I can still often find decent Columbia Forest Products birch or maple ply (usually B-2 grade) at a Home Depot near me. The stuff has been fine for painted cabinetry and shop use. In fact, the base of my crosscut sled is from a piece of this product, as I recall, and I've had zero problems with flatness with it. For finished cabinetry, or anything requiring an A face on the ply, I still look to my local hardwood supplier. But if I need something over a weekend, this HD will do.
How do you tell if it's made in China if there's no label that says so?Harry
Following the path of least resistance makes rivers and men crooked.
Most of the sheets I saw said "Made in China" or "Product of China" on the tag stapled to the sheets. Columbia Forest Products stamps its name on one of the short edges of the sheets and usually there's a tag glued to a short edge that has the CFP name, the grade of the plywood, the type of core, and whether formaldehyde glue was used. Very informative. In general, if there's no tag or label on a sheet of plywood, I think it's safe to assume it's from China. The price is usually considerably lower than domestic stuff. Finally, USA-made products usually make a point of bragging about that on the labeling; same with Canadian products, I believe.
Edited 4/29/2008 10:22 pm ET by nboucher
"In general, if there's no tag or label on a sheet of plywood, I think it's safe to assume it's from China."
There's a lot coming from South America, too.
-Steve
I don't know if it's universally true, but the baltic birch I get from my supplier has no markings at all. That's why I mentioned that you can usually identify it because it's 5 ft by 5 ft, or a portion thereof.
Jim
Yes, I've had the same experience with the small baltic birch sheets. I meant specifically that the unmarked sheets you find at the big-box stores is usually imported stuff, most often from Asia. Another giveaway, in my experience, is that the cheap stuff at the big-box stores—again, baltic and finnish birch are the exceptions, but I've never seen either at a big-box store—is usually labeled in mm, not inches. Finally, at the HD near me the good stuff is identified as "domestic." A few months ago, the store had a stack of birch ply that was being featured at the end of an aisle and was really inexpensive. You could see it wasn't that good—thin veneers, gappy, obvious blemishes—and around the corner and down the aisle was a stack of considerably more expensive "domestic" birch that was much better. At a different HD, I once found some really nice maple ply that I swear was mislabeled, because I know I paid less than it was worth. I suspect that sometimes the kids moving the stuff around get confused. I should also add that the highest-rated ply I've found at a big-box store so far has been B-2.By the way, I really like the clear labeling that Columbia Forest Products seems to put on their sheets; it makes it easy to immediately know what you're looking at. I wonder whether other companies do the same, as the CFP stuff seems to be most of what's around locally here.Anyway, that's all from my admittedly limited experience. . . .
Edited 4/30/2008 9:49 am ET by nboucher
All ,
Just recently we have had a few threads and discussions on China Ply , tempers flared and opinions and wrong information ran rampant .
We learned some interesting facts from the help of some Knotheads contributions .Some facts were disturbing and this is were there is room for changes .
One poster submitted the rules and regulation guidelines for import plywood.
What was learned is some China ply may have up to 100 times the safe levels of Formaldehyde , hence the smell when cut and off gassing after .
Also the China ply and I suppose any other import panels are (supposed) to be marked made in China and also that the product contains Formaldehyde and it may cause cancer . I have spoke to several major plywood distributors /suppliers and they have never seen China or warnings on the panels they don't come with labels stapled on the edges .Also a hazard sheet is to be available , never seen one said one supplier .
The good old U.S.A. allows this type of products to be imported to allow us to be competitive (while we are getting sick) .So there are no rules to stop the bad product from entering the country . Many other countries do not allow it to be imported .
The EPA said the indoor air quality is a non issue in regards to this offensive plywood and that there are no indoor air quality rules , that did not sit well with me . Just recently the Katrina victims trailers or new homes have been said to have too high levels of guess what , Formaldehyde and they have to wait to move in until the air is safe , imagine that .
To add insult to injury the kicker of this whole mess to me is, China will not allow this plywood to be sold in China because of their health concerns and rules . So when they found lead in children's toys or Melamine in pet foods they simply recall the products and send a different batch out .
Someone is making a Million dollars every time a ship pulls in to unload the China ply , it is unlikely they will stop wanting to make money . Did the warning on a pack of smokes actually have a positive effect ?
dusty , who will not use China ply
Thanks for the excellent reminder, Dusty.
It should at least have a grade stamp, which can be inconspicuous and/or illegible, like this one:
View Image
For some reason, I get the feeling that this piece comes from Russia. ;-)
-Steve
Yep, you're right -ish! I have three five by fives sitting in my shop. The front half-inch one has no markings, the second half-inch has a Russian hieroglyphic on one edge-corner, and the third quarter-inch has a marking like yours on the face. My supplier insists that 5 x 5 is the standard size, but I think he's wrong, because you can buy 10 x 5 from some suppliers, e.g. A&M. So I'm guessing that if you buy a 5 x 5 you have a 50% chance of finding a mark, and if you buy a smaller size then you're playing Russian roulette. For some reason I never learned Russian or Finnish, so I'm not much the wiser anyway. Now if it was Icelandic....
Jim
Jim,
As I recall Russian, Finnish (Baltic Birch) always comes with 5' as one of the dimensions, i.e 5' x 5' or 5' x 10'. The reason being is that the knives used to cut the plywood slices are all 5+' in length. Something to do with the tooling in these countries.
I could be wrong but I do remember hearing/seeing that in here a while back.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 4/30/2008 1:16 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Man, I have learned more about wood in this one thread than I ever learned talking to the folks at the box stores! Yall rock.
Just as an update, I went ahead and built my sled base out of the particle board since it was laying around, and used hardwoods for the rest of it and much to my own suprise it came out perfectly on the first try woohoo! It isnt the prettiest thing (PB does not enjoy being screwed into!) but it's solid, square to the blade, and fits the table snugly, so i'm happy I can now start making my boxes!
So thanks again to everyone for the advice, which I will keep with me when I make my next sled.
~Malice
Malice,
Here's a bit more on the BB: http://alliedveneer.com/what-is-baltic-birch.html
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Learned more about wood in this thread .......
Not me. I'm more confused than ever! <g>
What keller are ya lookin fo?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I like my warped birch plywood to be purple with yeller polky dots.;
Malice,
When you inquired as to how my particle board sleds held up over time, I neglected one point: finish. I finish all of my shop jigs with either shellac or lacquer, whichever is handy or already in the gun. Don't know if it extends the life of the jig or not. Again, just my $00.02.
Best!
-nazard
Ok, was just wondering out loud, not questioning you. In my limited experience I don't recall seeing tags on anything at Home Despot or Lowest's in my neighborhood. My local HD does carry deminsioned maple boards as well as maple plywood. This plywood would not be made in China, would it? It's goes for around $60.00 per sheet (3/4X48X96).Harry
Following the path of least resistance makes rivers and men crooked.
At that price, definitely made in China.
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
The tags, if any, would be found on unwrapped pallets of plywood.
-Steve
Harry, I don't know. The maple ply I found had the Columbia Forest Products tag, which was stapled on pretty securely. I have yet to see non-domestic maple ply, but like you my experience is pretty limited. Maybe someone else knows. I can't remember what the latest price I saw on domestic maple ply was, but I seem to recall it was more like $70 a sheet. Anyway, I'd be cautious buying plywood that's not labeled at all. I'd pull a sheet or two to see if you can find any markings on it at all. As I said, it seems most North American suppliers aren't shy about pointing out that their stuff is domestic. You can also check the Columbia Forest Products website to see if they have supplier near you that you can call for more info. I don't mean to keep pushing them, but as I say, their labels provide a lot of info, including formaldehyde content.
In Canada you get Canadian stock from Columbia in many HDs. It's all edge-stamped all the way round, and is advertised as formaldehyde free. You can occasionally get paint-grade 3/4 maple at $45 (a few dark streaks on the face) but cabinet grade is around $70, as is birch. It's usually just 5-ply. Some HDs very occasionally have baltic birch in small sizes, usually 30" x 30". Incidentally I believe BB is measured in cms also, it's just described in feet and inches for convenience. Doesn't matter much anyway by the time you cut it up.
Jim
Jim, Columbia has a major distributor in East Providence, R.I., which may be why it shows up—albeit in small quantities—in HDs where I am, in southeastern Mass.Their website is very informative, BTW.Norman
Malice,
Another possible source might be any cabinet shops in your area too. They might have offcuts that might be big enough for a sled.
Also, there is a product called MDO that is used to make signs and should be stabile enough for you. I've used it sevreal times for benchtops, router table tops, as well as a crosscut sled I still use today.
As an aside, if you fill out your profile with some reasonably close location info. lots more folk can help. It doesn't do much good for someone in NH to try to locate a source for someone in HI. Then on the other hand there just might be someone in here right near by with an extra piece kicking around. Know what I mean?
Good luck in your search,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Good point Bob! I hadn't seen a profile option yet, I was too busy reading posts and articles :D I'm learning so much here it's insane.
I have never heard of MDO, i'll look into that too...
Thanks so much!
~Malice
Malice,
MDO (Medium Density Overlay) is a plywood with one side coated with paper soaked in high quality phenolic resin. It can be coated with paint or shellac as I did. It's quite stabile and a bit cheaper than baltic birch.
Another thang I just thought of. When making your sled you might want to make it sized to cover your TS top. It helps to keep rust off too.
Oh ya, almost forgot: http://metromurals.org/Mural%20Materials%20andTechniques.htm
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 4/29/2008 12:44 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
At this point it's moot, since you've already built the sled, but (at least around me) HD and Lowes also sell quarter sheets (2'x4') of varying thickness MDF and high-ish grade plywood. Pegboard, too. It costs a bit more per square foot, but it still beats paying for a full sheet and then trying to figure out what to do with the extra.
For some reason they put the quarter sheets in a different section, usually where you wouldn't expect them.
I guess i'll take a stroll thru HD again, haven't gone there in quite awhile cuz that place is the devil! But if I get lucky and find they carry something better than lowe's it'll be worth the trip.
Thanks!
~Malice
I was wondering where to get quality wood in the area. I just moved into Gulfport and in the process of getting the shop set up. Where do you you buy your hardwood from?
Thanks,
Greg
Hey Greg, welcome to the Coast!
I am still trying to find a reputable place myself, but I don't own a planer so my problem is finding surfaced wood. If you have a planer and can do that yourself there are many places around the coast that sell good stuff. Biloxi lumber co. stocks some good stuff, they even have a few hard-to-find species for this area, IF you can plane it of course, and the guys that work there are super sweet and helpful... Ocean springs lumber co. has a nice selection from what i've noticed so far and they say they can order just about anything you need. As for Gulfport, I'd suggest checking out Dedeaux Clan Furniture on Canal Rd. I have never gone out there myself cuz toting my little ones to a place like that is a nightmare waiting to happen, but from what i've been told by some of the guys working at the lumber places here in Ocean Springs, you can buy a lot of specialty woods from them, but I was warned that they are a bit pricey because it is a custom furniture company, not a lumber yard. You may want to give them a try, they have been here for like 150 yrs so they should know what they are doing ;) And if you find out anything interesting let me know! I'd love find out what all they can offer without dragging my children out there LOL.
Best of luck!
~Malice
Thanks for the reply. I live off Orange Grove Rd. and the Clan is just up the road. I'll also try Biloxi lumber. Don't have the problems with the little ones and a few times in the past my wife has accompanied me to buy hardwood for some projects. She has got a good eye for grain and color. Maybe your next purchase might be a planner, it does open up a lot of possibilities.
Greg
The expression 'Flat Plywood' is something of an oxymoron.
The two words probably shouldn't ever be next to each other, nor even in the same sentence, ha, ha. Slainte.
Richard Jones Furniture
Hi Richard , thats rich , kind of like VG fir with no splinters.
dusty,from the shop
The "Home Stores" typically have panel saws and will give you two cuts for free when you buy a whole 4X8, (or in the case of MDF 49X97) sheet.
Lowes sometimes has ApplePly rejects as hobby sheets in the 2-ft X 4-ft stuff, but it is hit or miss. They buy the hobby sheets from Columbia, and sometimes it is 9-ply, and others it is 5-ply.
Sometimes plywood will warp with changes in moisture if one surface is exposed to air, and the other tight on the stack below it. It was very frequent when I was in Vegas, particularly of the first couple of sheets off a new bunk. Depending on how your piece is warped, it still might be okay for a sled. Are the front and back rails going to flatten it out, and support it?
It was warped diagonally from corner to corner so the rails didn't help to straighten it out. And it was one of the smaller 2'x'2 boards that for some reason they insist on standing up in a rack so i'm sure that has something to do with it as well. The particle board base is working fine for now and yesterday I discovered 1/2" baltic birch at the craft store for almost the same price as Woodcraft, so I bought a sheet that is perfect size for a sled, no cutting required yay! I'm going to eventually remake it with that.
~Malice
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