Warping oak

[AJB Temple]

Just to add an amateur perspective. I have recently had to replace some approx 10mm thick oak panels in an old oak door. I planed the panels down from some 20mm oak floorboard offcuts I had, that were stored in a heated building and dry. Planing from both sides I approach the required thickness fairly gradually over a week or so. The panels are stable but past experience tells me, as others have wisely said here, that if you go straight to thickness or the wood is not optimally sawn, then you will get significant movement.

It is possible to make thin wood stable - I have made sitka spruce guitar tops that are 3mm thick (with bracing beneath) - but I don't think I would use solid oak for a box lid, unless I had plenty of time to stabilise the wood and I could float it in a frame.

Good luck with your project.

 

[woodbloke66]

You may not be aware of the calibre of the advice you are being given here, stoneways. Custard is a professional furniture maker. Chris Tribe is a professional furniture maker and a teacher of fine woodworking. I've been a professional furniture maker. We've all been doing this for donkeys years. People pay good money to get the sort of advice you are being given, so I really would stop and have a good think before you go any further.

Just to add my two euros to the pot (not that they're going to be worth much shortly ), Mike G and company are spot on. I've also been a professional maker and have been mangling sawdust for over 45 years. Heed the excellent advice given - Rob

 

[MikeG.]

....... I have recently had to replace some approx 10mm thick oak panels in an old oak door. ...........

That's a lovely door! It's very like the one I built a few months ago: