Thread: TIP - Getting the warp out of ur boards

On those wide planks you're using I imagine they can need some persuading!
I found a 2m scrap of pine wedged into the ground and pushed with my shoulder was enough to straighten the board long enough to drill the hole and get the screw in.

That's pretty inventive. I like it.

Because I work alone and need to pull boards in pretty tight I use this tool pictured. It's actually made for decking. It's called a Bo-Deck.

Where do you get the bo-deck from?

OH you are joking.!!! That thing is awsome. I was sittin there imagining that tool that would wedge itself on a joist with a spring loaded arm...Its sorta close to what I had imagined. Thats awsome!

I always have these ides of tools that would fitt the job perfectly....LOL...i should put them to some use.

That looks like a similar idea to my old floor clamps. It looks like the Bo-Deck is more lightweight, but it seems to require constant pressure.
With a pair of floor clamps, and a long plank, you can clamp a long run and it will stay there.

Lots of ways to skin a cat though. If it wasn't for the joist capping, I'd just use a chisel driven on an angle into the joist as a lever. Alternatively, screw the following board down and wedge back from it. Or install it with the bow inwards, and wedge back from the two fixed ends.

Glad you like it. It's pretty cool,huh!

I spotted it in Fine Home Building magazine some five years ago and ordered one in from the States. It arrived four days later. I only had one hiccup and that was when the clown rang me from New York at 2 o'clock in the morning to confirm my order.

Once you get the hang of it, you can position it just right so that you can pull the board in and the tool will stay there tight, effectively giving you a third hand. Very cool.

The two parts you see on the tool are also reversible, so instead of pulling the boards in, you can alternatively set it up to push the boards away from you, if that makes it any easier.

Along with the great cramping action I also find it invaluable for tearing out old boards when I do repair work. In these photos you can see that I have removed the attachments needed for clamping and have replaced them with two additional pieces of tube steel that are used like jaws to simply rip the boards apart. Makes pulling out old boards or decking damn fast.

Also, there are spacers that come with it so that the jaws can be set wider, enabling me to remove joists and wall studs quickly.

Originally Posted by Dusty

Once you get the hang of it, you can position it just right so that you can pull the board in and the tool will stay there tight, effectively giving you a third hand. Very cool.

Yeh, I see now. It looks like an improvement over the old heavy floor clamps. Mine are a bit of a mongrel to get working properly, but that looks like a really simple design.

And I've stripped quite a few floors in the past with a jemmy bar, but that looks like a really quick and effective way to do it.

Here we go.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...6&cookietest=1

and

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BOWRENCH-DECK...QQcmdZViewItem

It wouldn't take that long to make one. Probably less than ten bucks in steel, and a few bolts would do it.

Originally Posted by pawnhead

It wouldn't take that long to make one. Probably less than ten bucks in steel, and a few bolts would do it.

Funny you say that...i bought the stuff to do it ages ago and never got round to it partly cause i doubted the effectiveness of the tool to start with i spose and part lasy

How is it to use if you want to maintain a gap as in decking do you need to put in a packer or just hold the bar at the set point to maintain the gap

cheers utemad

Originally Posted by dan76n

Here we go.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...6&cookietest=1

and

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BOWRENCH-DECK...QQcmdZViewItem

what a price difference considering the aussie dollar at the moment

cheers utemad

Originally Posted by UteMad

what a price difference considering the aussie dollar at the moment

cheers utemad

It would'nt supprise me if the guy selling them on ebay is getting them from the other website at around that price then putting his margin on it.

Originally Posted by UteMad

How is it to use if you want to maintain a gap as in decking do you need to put in a packer or just hold the bar at the set point to maintain the gap

cheers utemad

Spacer is the go.

• 250kg rated 2m long irwin clamp - $40
• 4mm tassie oak spacers, cut to size by the apprentice - $1.60
• 4 beers & a vodka for the apprentice; no swearing - priceless