i was just knocking a little 24"x42"hobby workbench together today, flimsy,
light, just something out of scraps. 2x2 legs and 1x3 rails on top, and 6'
from the ground. all pine. all the wood i used was very twisted. not just
bowed, but twisted. and bowed. and cupped. and probably more. and already
in my shop with nothing else really to do with it which is why i used it.
i had some melamine laminated particle board for the top, and thats nice and
flat.
so off i went, screw gun and glue in hand to make something square. seemed
like every time i tried to force it straight it just got uglier and uglier.
straightening one place just bent it someplace else. so i just went with
it. i built it in place on the top where the wood wanted to go. i kept the
legs fairly plumb and the top flat, which was my goal. and its totally
functional.... but the rails are just ugly... if you look from the bottom
they form more of a parallellagram with a twist... oh well, put a fake
board on the front thats square. only i know the difference.
ok, now for my question.
how can you take some twisted wood, make 4 legs and rails and have it come
out square like a box even with some elaborate clamping system? is it
really even possible? in this case was i probably correct to just build it
crooked since its not exactly a show piece?
randy
"Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > how can you take some twisted wood, make 4 legs and rails and have it >
> come out square like a box even with some elaborate clamping system?
>
>
> By truing the stock. You know, planes, jointers. saws, squares, that kind
of
> thing.
how do you true up a piece of 1/2" thick wood that has a 1" twist in it?
i.e. if you set one side 'flat', the other side is sticking 1" up. there is
no 'plane' to plane to...
the only way i see to true the stock would be to soak it, park my car on it,
and wait a month...
randy
I was a woodworker, then I built and addition on my house. I learned a
significant difference between woodworking and framing.
With woodworking, you true-up stock and then assemble. When stick framing a
house, You start with the straight-er pieces to start the frame of a wall.
and twist and coerce the rest into place.
The worst stuff is returned, burned, or cut into shorter members (cripple
studs and headers, sills)
It also helps to use it as soon as the bands are popped of the pallet so
that the stuff does not have a chance to dry and start warping. (seriously)
Ask a bunch of woodworkers and you will get the woodworker's solution to the
problem.
It sounds like the stuck with which you are starting may not even be good
enough for framing.
You can "unwarp" wood by warping it in the other direction with the
application of moisture and drying, (sort-of) but it's probably not worth
the cost of a decent 2x4
-s
"xrongor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:6Ficc.188376$1p.2192128@attbi_s54...
>
> "Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > > how can you take some twisted wood, make 4 legs and rails and have it
>
> > come out square like a box even with some elaborate clamping system?
> >
> >
> > By truing the stock. You know, planes, jointers. saws, squares, that
kind
> of
> > thing.
>
> how do you true up a piece of 1/2" thick wood that has a 1" twist in it?
> i.e. if you set one side 'flat', the other side is sticking 1" up. there
is
> no 'plane' to plane to...
>
> the only way i see to true the stock would be to soak it, park my car on
it,
> and wait a month...
>
> randy
>
>
"Stephen M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I was a woodworker, then I built and addition on my house. I learned a
> significant difference between woodworking and framing.
>
> With woodworking, you true-up stock and then assemble. When stick framing
a
> house, You start with the straight-er pieces to start the frame of a wall.
> and twist and coerce the rest into place.
this was just too small. every time i twisted something into place, it
tweaked the other side, and visa versa. with a house, you have a few big
heavy things to nail to. if nothing else gravity will keep things in place.
>
> The worst stuff is returned, burned, or cut into shorter members (cripple
> studs and headers, sills)
the stuff was on its way to the burn pile <g>
>
> It also helps to use it as soon as the bands are popped of the pallet so
> that the stuff does not have a chance to dry and start warping.
(seriously)
>
> Ask a bunch of woodworkers and you will get the woodworker's solution to
the
> problem.
>
> It sounds like the stuck with which you are starting may not even be good
> enough for framing.
ya thats the fundamental problem. i thought about it a bit today and in
retrospect, considering what i started with, its really not that bad. it
looked worse yesterday <g>
sounds so far like everyone is saying the same thing. twisted wood =
twisted box.
randy
Well there you go, problem solved.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"xrongor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:6Ficc.188376$1p.2192128@attbi_s54...
>
> "Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > > how can you take some twisted wood, make 4 legs and rails and have it
>
> > come out square like a box even with some elaborate clamping system?
> >
> >
> > By truing the stock. You know, planes, jointers. saws, squares, that
kind
> of
> > thing.
>
> how do you true up a piece of 1/2" thick wood that has a 1" twist in it?
> i.e. if you set one side 'flat', the other side is sticking 1" up. there
is
> no 'plane' to plane to...
>
> the only way i see to true the stock would be to soak it, park my car on
it,
> and wait a month...
>
> randy
>
>
"xrongor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> in this case was i probably correct to just build it
> crooked since its not exactly a show piece?
>
> randy
Sometimes the line between practicality and pride gets pretty thin.
Ed
> how can you take some twisted wood, make 4 legs and rails and have it >
come out square like a box even with some elaborate clamping system?
By truing the stock. You know, planes, jointers. saws, squares, that kind of
thing.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"