View Full Version : Advice on Warped Oak
I have a large cupboard door that has developed a warp at one end. It is 10 years old and is finished with a urethane type product. I have tried to put some weight on it for a week to no avail. Any ideas on how to get rid of the warp without damaging the wood. I have only put about 20 pounds on it due to a finger joint in the end with the warp. Thanks
Thats a tough one especially with oak.The only thing I could think is to saturate it and to put weight on it and hope it can be re-straightened ,then it has the finish on it , is it finished on the back side? sounds like you have some work ahead of you.
Lou_williams
12-14-2000, 12:45 AM
In general wood warps when it gains or loose mosture more from one side than the other. that is why it should be finished the same on all sides. Then is should stay the same as it was when it was built. You need to let the wood come back into equilibrium with the environment. On thing that sometimes helps to to place it in the middle of a large quanity of wood chips / saw dust. It might take a while to reach a good ballance. The convex side has more H2O than the concave side. One other approach is to put some water on the concave (don't soak it) then place on a flat serface concave side down for a few hours. Once it is flat. Make sure that it has a good coat of finish on both faces and all edges.
It really does not matter what the wood is.
Think fireplace.....just kidding
More questions than answers...that may give you your long term solution.
1. Is it a raised panel door?
a. large boards making up panel?
b. panel disproportionate to stile and rail dimension?
c. is panel floating (not glued to stile and rail)
be sure to allow for expansion I typically stain and seal
my panels seperately to minimize expansion. Also a configuration of multiple panels is more stable and less likely
to warp on you.
2. If the door is made up of butted boards are they wide and are the boards cofigured so the grain run opposite and the annual growth rings are oppositeas well?
3. Were the doors built (assuming you built them) in a humity greatly different than where the finished pice is.
4. Its winter and the air is drier this can cause warping as well
as added moisture. Try placing a humidifier close to the door
and SLOWLY (over days)bring it shut to the cabinet with some clamps if possable.
OR if you believe added humidity is the culprit...cat litter is a cheap desicant. (I store my biscuits in it)
Glen