Can't get 25 x 25 batten straight for love nor money - help

[Oddaccent]

Hi there. I'm making a piece of rehabilitation equipment for my son and I'm stuck at the most basic level - getting the baton straight.

It's basically a box frame made of 25mm x 25mm batten. Even the straightest batten I can buy is too warped to have enough wood remaining after I plane it. I was thinking I should buy a plank and then plane that and rip it into strips. Not sure?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[MikeG.]

What sort of wood are you buying?

 

[Oddaccent]

Just softwood from the timber merchant.

 

[MikeG.]

You're not buying construction grade sawn battens, are you? Was it from a pack outside? You should be able to select some redwood from a timber merchant which is straight enough in short lengths to work for your purposes. PAR redwood is the stuff you are after, and if your local merchant is selling only banana shaped stuff, go and look elsewhere. If you need it to finish, say, 25x25, then buy 32x32 and plane it down from there.

 

[Oddaccent]

Thanks for that. I'll double check. It's stored under cover in an open air warehouse.

 

[woodbloke66]

Thanks for that. I'll double check. It's stored under cover in an open air warehouse.

With all this 'dampish' weather we've been having of late, the MC (moisture content) is liable to be pretty high if it's been stored in an open air warehouse. Moving it back indoors to say, a warmer workshop will make it instantly start to dry out and as it does so, it's liable to warp and twist. Better to buy some much drier stuff to start with (good quality redwood) which then stands a better chance of staying straight, but even then it might not...wood's funny stuff! - Rob

 

[Adam9453]

As the others have said try a different merchant as you should be able to select some decent straight lengths of par redwood or similar without much hassle. Alternatively buy it from a merchant that machines as well and ask them to par it to 25x25mm for you and check it’s straight when you collect it. It might sound basic but getting timber straight and to stay straight when unsupported can present some very frustrating challenges. Is the timber actually seen in your design or is it hidden by panels etc? Could you adjust the design to use sheet materials, for example, which are much more predictable and stable generally.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Also - if it's straight when you get it try to use it as quickly as possible.

 

[thetyreman]

have you checked the pieces for wind/twist?

 

[Oddaccent]

Thanks all. I have lined up a local rough timber merchant. A good guy I know well and he's agreed to mill up some hardwood for me, but I think I might have a go at using plywood first. It won't be exactly what I had in mind, but I can probably make it work and it'll be a lot cheaper since I already have it. Back to the Sketchup.