Should I bother with a bent board?

[GarciaJ]

Thanks GarciaJ

One picture is worth a thousand words. That's a really nifty-economical way of cramping boards. I also like to find uses for scrap timbers.


TT

No problems TT - Hope you find them as useful as I do if you get around to making them.

Jorge

[GarciaJ]

If the wood is "moving" in response to changing humidity and Moisture Content %, how do you know that it's finished? You might make some repair but in the middle of an on-going process. I'd make more measurements and wait a couple of months.

Well, I suppose I don't know for sure, but I've always been taught that these changes occur due to **two** things. 1 some internal or external stress that's "frozen" in the structure and 2 the introduction of moisture, which makes the wood fibres more pliable and therefore the stresses relax, causing the wood to warp.

What I have done is introduce a stress in the opposite direction of the bend, and introduced moisture. This new stress can only be relaxed if the fibres set in the new (straight) configuration. The trick is to keep the wood moist enough during that whole process. The proof of the pudding, I guess, is to unclamp the wood again and moisten it. It should not warp again.

The other thing preventing it from reverting to a warped state is a water proof finish, which locks moisture in as well as keeps additional moisture out.

Anyway, that's the theory.

Finally, my wife has already waited 4 months for this table... I'm not sure how the news of having to wait another two would be received...

Thank you all for the encouragement and ideas.

Jorge Garcia

[Twisted Tenon]

No problems TT - Hope you find them as useful as I do if you get around to making them.

Jorge

I will Jorge.
Methinks I'll make them without the cramping blocks though.
They look a perfect way to keep the planks from bowing out while cramping with the pipe clamps.

TT