Flooring

[macetownhouse]

Hello,
I’m currently researching Iroko hardwood floor, the hard way.
Have a 50x150mm by 4.5 metre long, (€71 including vat), to begin with.
Have passed through thicknesser to 47mm, plan to cut to 70x280 by 22mm ish on my small table saw.
Where I need guidance is to preventing cupping and warping. Have brought to 47mm and clamped as to keep straight.
Was planning to cut down next week to final dimensions and use sash clamps to keep straight for another week or so, then coat of varnish all over to seal.
Will this work, time is not a issue yet, as wifey is not quite onboard yet. My usual strategy of the “mushroom approach “, keep in the dark and feed dung,will work for a while.
The finished planks will be glued with rubbery glue to plywood over old pine floors boards.
I am not know for doing thing the easy way so telling me I’m mad is not considered constructive in my happy little world. Photos included.

P.s. the most over engineered saw bench also included, finished Sunday.

 

[Orraloon]

It surely is not the easy way to do it and no guarantee they will not bow and twist. I would expect it will move a lot. The other point is there is no tongue and groove. There are reasons flooring is done the way it is.
I would be looking at either getting ready made floorboards and doing it the traditional way or if you dont want to rip up the old floor then look at floating floor.
Regards
John

 

[macetownhouse]

Thank you, it is in a old Georgian house, and the ready made seems to be plywood with a veneer. No decision will be made till our trial board is finished.

 

[macetownhouse]

Got first stage done, clamped up to prevent cupping and warping. Any advice on how long before coat of varnish to seal?

 

[Orraloon]

That looks like a parquetry floor you are doing so I had the wrong end of the stick. Please disregard my last post. No reason that will not work. My brother had it done about 30 years ago by professional layers. The blocks were left in the room for 6 weeks or so to acclimatize before being laid. Never done it myself but I think its left dry then laid.
Regards
John

 

[macetownhouse]

That looks like a parquetry floor you are doing so I had the wrong end of the stick. Please disregard my last post. No reason that will not work. My brother had it done about 30 years ago by professional layers. The blocks were left in the room for 6 weeks or so to acclimatize before being laid. Never done it myself but I think its left dry then laid.
Regards
John

That looks like a parquetry floor you are doing so I had the wrong end of the stick. Please disregard my last post. No reason that will not work. My brother had it done about 30 years ago by professional layers. The blocks were left in the room for 6 weeks or so to acclimatize before being laid. Never done it myself but I think its left dry then laid.
Regards
John

John,
Thank you, it was my error in not stating parquet flooring.
64 made only 1480ish to go…….
Thanks for the advice on your brothers, I’ll still wondering about applying the varnish, here in Ireland we have a damp climate and all new timber needs varnishing to seal.

 

[Orraloon]

I understand your concern about the climatic conditions. I can only comment on what I have seen done over here.
Regards
John

 

[Ttrees]

I suggest you ask mods for assistance with editing you're title, to something along the lines of making iroko parquetry flooring.
@MikeK or @Spectric may be able help?
I won't suggest anything regarding this, as I couldn't advise.
Though I can mention worth keeping an eye on the stuff obviously, and collect the most
gnarly pieces of iroko, should you find stuff with much runout or knots,
those will likely be indicative that your timber is drying out too quickly,
should you get the impression that case hardening or whatever was present,
and you sharply sealed the end grain with PVA.

I can't tell you if that's a done thing, or not, as all my timbers are reclaimed so had plenty of
time to slowly loose moisture content.
You'll often see some folk like Cosman take a long board and trim an inch off the ends at the mitre saw, and see if he can snap it, a snap means cutting another inch and trying again.
Just highlighting it could be a possibility,
It'd be a good idea to do some tests to see how much moisture is in the timber,
and see if an offcut is looking too dry.


I've noticed some splitting/separation around knots and such before, but that was from
forcibly heating the timbers over an oil rad w/tent, coz they were in the damp shed.
From now on whilst doing this in winter, I'll keep soaking the timber doing that.

Splitting is the main concern, but so is acclimatizing the stuff.
This is where you might want the most guidance,
and the only parquet flooring I've seen on this forum, or possibly the woodWud haven2 where
someone has the original flooring from the Wadkin factory.!
It wouldn't do any harm to have thermometers and I suppose RH figures should you have something, in both workshop and house somewhere around the floor,
or perhaps an infrared gun might be the ticket.

Sorry no help to you with something on the money, and merely guessing/bumping your post,
as it's been pretty warm the last few days.

All the best
Tom

 

[macetownhouse]

I suggest you ask mods for assistance with editing you're title, to something along the lines of making iroko parquetry flooring.

I won't suggest anything regarding this, as I couldn't advise.
Though I can mention worth keeping an eye on the stuff obviously, and collect the most
gnarly pieces of iroko, should you find stuff with much runout or knots,
those will likely be indicative that your timber is drying out too quickly,
should you get the impression that case hardening or whatever was present,
and you sharply sealed the end grain with PVA.

I can't tell you if that's a done thing, or not, as all my timbers are reclaimed so had plenty of
time to slowly loose moisture content.
You'll often see some folk like Cosman take a long board and trim an inch off the ends at the mitre saw, and see if he can snap it, a snap means cutting another inch and trying again.
Just highlighting it could be a possibility,
It'd be a good idea to do some tests to see how much moisture is in the timber,
and see if an offcut is looking too dry.


I've noticed some splitting/separation around knots and such before, but that was from
forcibly heating the timbers over an oil rad w/tent, coz they were in the damp shed.
From now on whilst doing this in winter, I'll keep soaking the timber doing that.

Splitting is the main concern, but so is acclimatizing the stuff.
This is where you might want the most guidance,
and the only parquet flooring I've seen on this forum, or possibly the woodWud haven2 where
someone has the original flooring from the Wadkin factory.!
It wouldn't do any harm to have thermometers and I suppose RH figures should you have something, in both workshop and house somewhere around the floor,
or perhaps an infrared gun might be the ticket.

Sorry no help to you with something on the money, and merely guessing/bumping your post,
as it's been pretty warm the last few days.

All the best
Tom

Tom,
Thank you, sorry for silly question what’s “mods”, moderators maybe… and how do I contact them?
I think I will have to take plunge and invest in a moisture meter.
Also was talking to a chippy who told me a coat of varnish and the rubberised glue nothing will move ( he had to take some flooring up before and never again was his words.

Rob.

 

[Ttrees]

@macetownhouse Not sure if you've been contacted as I edited my post to notify the lads, but I hope you've got yer title ready.
Tom

 

[macetownhouse]

Got first stage done, clamped up to prevent cupping and warping. Any advice on how long before coat of varnish to seal?

Test has been judged a success.
A more streamlined product process is a MOST, but I’m happy not under wifey feet so all is good.
280x70x23 mm with a chamfer on top.
Next three lengths have been purchased.
Advice still must appreciated and need.
Rob.