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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Melbourne VIC
    Posts
    15

    Default Straighening a chess board

    I have recently made a chess board (540 x 540mm) using Aus hardwoods (redgum and grey box) for the borders and squares with the squares glued onto a substrate of 7mm plywood. However, it has warped with three corners sitting of a surface (desk, table etc) and the fourth corner sitting about 10mm off the surface.

    The borders have mitre joints with biscuit joints.

    Not sure how it happened could have been clamped out of square or simply warped after clamping (unlikely I suspect.)

    Does anyone have any methods, ideas or other clues how I could remove the warp and straighten the board?

    Many thanks,

    KenM

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
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    6,127

    Default

    The most likely cause of the warping is the substrate (more specifically, what's NOT on the substrate). It all comes down to the golden rule: "Do the same thing to both sides". This applies for veneering/laminating and polishing as well.

    If you only seal one side, changes in temperature and humidity will affect the two sides differently and cause the whole piece to bend.

    I'm not aware of any way to flatten it and keep it flat; unfortunately, you're up against physics and that's not an easy fight to win

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Perth WA Australia
    Posts
    828

    Default

    10mm is a fair bit off, and chances are happened during clamping, i wouldn't have thought your plywood would have warped that significantly unless your wood top, is quite thin.

    If it were me i'd just level the base with some leveling feet and call it a day.

    Trying to fix it properly will require some serious surgery, ie removing the plywood base then re-flatten top/bottom of board. Even then if the wood wasn't seasoned properly to begin with there's no guarantee it won't warp again, as flattening the board will reveal new "wet" areas that will begin to dry out and move.

    If your board is quite thin, ie less than say 20mm you could try force it flat with some screws and a thicker base.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    10,810

    Default

    I would attach the top (chessboard side) with double-sided tape to a flat board (MDF or Ply) - thick enough to straighten the chess board. Then I would slice off the top section with a bandsaw. This would leave a thinner veneer, which could be glued to a new - flat - base. If the MDF, etc is not stiff enough to remove the twist prior to re-sawing, then resaw it thinner until it is more flexible.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    1,766

    Default

    Start again.
    There ain't no devil, it's just god when he's drunk!!

    Tom Waits

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Geelong, Victoria
    Posts
    282

    Default

    I had a similar experience with the sliding lid of a box for chess pieces. I inlaid and laminated a tiny board onto a piece of ply. It was fine at first but over a few months it warped and jammed into it he box slot. I put it down to shrinkage across the grain in the veneer reacting with the absolute stability in the ply. I had finished both surfaces.

    My mistake was to assume that the stability of the ply would transfer to the veneer.

    I remade the lid from solid timber and abandoned it inlay idea.

    Bruce

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    back in Alberta for a while
    Age
    68
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    12,006

    Default

    As Elan says, it's what's NOT on the substrate that is the cause.
    Suggest you remake the chess board using the same pattern of squares and edging on the back side that you used for the show side.
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Sydney
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    1,501

    Default

    Glue it to a piece of 32mm MDF. Clamp it flat. Add new sides.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    blue mountains
    Posts
    4,882

    Default

    I would just build another as a few have suggested. It will likely be the easiest fix in the long run. There may be other fixes but not guaranteed fixes. A good lesson on wood movement and be thankful it was only a small board and not a large tabletop or something.
    It is a royal pain when something like this happens but I am sure most of us here have learned this the hard way.
    Regards
    John

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