Thread: Fixing Twisted boards

If by 'fix' you mean 'un-twist', I don't believe it's possible. The only method I'm aware of is buzzing/planing one face flat and running it through a thicknesser.

Timber will keep moving, so only dress what you need, when you need it. Once you polish/seal your work it's pretty well behaved.

The thicknesser doesn't usually solve the problem unless you glue a wedge ( equal to the twist) to one side so that the board will sit flat on the bench (rather than rocking).
Then if you put it through a thicknesser the high parts on the other side will be gone and you can turn the board over and do it again to get a flat board.
The problem here is that if you have a 20mm board which when put on a flat bench has one corner 3mm off the bench and you go through the processs just described you will finish up with a 14mm board. I am thinking maybe it would be better to rip the boards in half then try the flattenning process and joining then together agin with less thickness loss. This will be a lot of work.
But surely there is another solution.

I think one of the best solutions is to make a router sled with a wide planer bit, wedge the workpiece in position, and run the sled over the timber to make one side flat. Then flatten the other side through a thicknesser

Originally Posted by alwyn

The thicknesser doesn't usually solve the problem unless you glue a wedge ( equal to the twist) to one side so that the board will sit flat on the bench (rather than rocking).

Which is why I mentioned planing one face flat first.

Ripping them in half will cut your losses in terms of final size, but, like you say, it is time consuming.

Hey!!! very good!
I take it that you mean .. clamp one end of the board to a flat bench. Then have a router sled which rides on the bench and work on the raised corner of the board.
This is a much better solution than my original.
Any more out there?

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Which is why I mentioned planing one face flat first.

Ripping them in half will cut your losses in terms of final size, but, like you say, it is time consuming.

Having a thicknesser without a jointer is a time waster. Trying to do it with a router sled is just masochistic unless the board is really really wide.

If you want to save time and possibly money, get a scrub plane and some winding sticks. Hand plane one side roughly near to flat then run it through the thicknesser.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

Having a thicknesser without a jointer is a time waster. I agree whole heartedly. Trying to do it with a router sled is just masochistic unless the board is really really wide.

If you want to save time and possibly money, get a scrub plane and some winding sticks. That is also masochistic. Hand plane one side roughly near to flat then run it through the thicknesser.

Standard trade practice is to flatten one side on a surfacer, then through the panel planer. Ripping the boards in half first will minimize your losses. If you don't have the machinery, find a cabinet maker or joinery shop for help.
Jim

Originally Posted by powderpost

If you want to save time and possibly money, get a scrub plane and some winding sticks. That is also masochistic.
Jim

My name is Fuzzie and I am a masochist.

On long boards I find it a whole lot easier to take the high corners off a twisted board with a scrub plane that trying to do it all on the jointer. Perhaps if I had commercial grade machinery that wouldn't be the case, but with my gear I think it is not only quicker but safer.

Thanks to all for the contrubution. Unfortunately I don't have room for a jointer as I am essentially working in a car port with a big cupboard attached.
So I might need to look at a scrub plane and make a sled for the router.

A scrub plane will straighten your boards in very little time. Maybe an hour for the top. Then thickness the other side. And reglue to make whole again.

It turned out that there was another solution.
I have wetted down some boards then put a wedge under one corner to apply opposite twist and clamped the board to the bench for 24 hours.
Hey presto board is now not twisted.

Nice one I'm curious to see if they stay flat once they fully re-dry.
Just remember that your timber has a relatively low density and that trick won't always work, especially with thicker stock and/or dense hardwoods.

Time will tell. I will fix these boards together asap and let you know if things don't turn out.

Just to add to what has already been said. We are having a very dry spell with prolonged low humidity following quite a few rather wet years so wood in general is acting badly. Even boards that were well seasoned are on the move. Time to apply all the good wood handeling practices.

Regards
John