Thread: Warped slab of Kauri.. FIX?

how is the slab stored?

it could be that turning the slab over and waiting a while will take much of the twist out

Originally Posted by ian

how is the slab stored?

it could be that turning the slab over and waiting a while will take much of the twist out

honestly, the same way it was stored when i bought it.. incorrectly.
Just leaning up against the wall fairly vertical like..

I know your sposed to lay such things flat, but it had been fine like that for some years so i just kept it that way.

I think melbourne change of moisture twisted it, though i keep it in a very dry area of a warehouse..

Just dry weighting it will likely cause it to crack. Wetting it may help somewhat, but your best bet would be to find a boatbuilder and get them to throw it into a steam pot first. Steaming will allow the lignin to soften, which will reduce the risk of it cracking when you weight it down to bring it back straight. Then you'll have to go part of the way through the seasoning process again, but if its something special sometimes we just have to wait.

Can't get the twist out by a few carefully placed ripping cuts and then rejoining it later? If it wants to be unstable then it's probably a good idea in any case, as this will reduce the likelihood of it trying to turn itself inside out again at a later moisture shift.

Originally Posted by OLDBROWNDOG

honestly, the same way it was stored when i bought it.. incorrectly.
Just leaning up against the wall fairly vertical like..

I know your sposed to lay such things flat, but it had been fine like that for some years so i just kept it that way.

I think melbourne change of moisture twisted it, though i keep it in a very dry area of a warehouse..

it could be the problem is just you've leant the "wrong" end against the wall -- the end that was down is now up.

600 is a bit narrow for a table, and to my aesthetic 45 is way too thick

how bad is the twist?
how were you proposing to use the slab?

hmm..

Not sure i want to cut & then rejoin.. How would this fix the twist anyway?

In terms of how i was going to use it, I was going to affix it with screws to some 40x40 steel angle welded (with 45 degree cuts) into a rectangle flush to the edges of the timber.. as a kind of apron.. then add the legs down from that.

So it would be affixed to a real rigid material, but if it wanted to move I imagine it would just split..

the twist is a lift of about 15mm off the floor at each opposing corner.

Originally Posted by OLDBROWNDOG

hmm..

Not sure i want to cut & then rejoin.. How would this fix the twist anyway?

In terms of how i was going to use it, I was going to affix it with screws to some 40x40 steel angle welded (with 45 degree cuts) into a rectangle flush to the edges of the timber.. as a kind of apron.. then add the legs down from that.

So it would be affixed to a real rigid material, but if it wanted to move I imagine it would just split..

sorry but I'm crying. IMO what you propose is a waste of good timber

ripping the slab into three strips would allow the twist to be taken out by adjusting the long edges prior to gluing the strips back together.
I understand that many makers will rip a live edge slab into three and reverse the edges as a way of controlling cupping in the finished top.

ok understood, thought it might be something like that, not my favorite option for a solid slab, but if nothing else works it may do..

In terms of the usage, each to their own i suppose. I happen to like steel & timber combos, they can be awful, they can also be tasteful.