Wood warping / bowing whilst hand planing

[Andrew S]

Hi,

This is my first forum posting here...

How do I keep a planed timber flat?
I've just (hand) planed a piece of Oak flat on one face, than gauged the thickness and proceeded to plane the other face flat... only to find that on flipping the timber over the face I planed first is now bowed... ie has bowed in the time it has taken me to plane the opposite face...

I'm using kiln dried Europen Oak - best grade - purchased 2 weeks ago from ATS of Colsterworth...

Is there something wrong with the wood?, or something wrong with my workshop environmet? How can I prevent this happening or at least minimise it? or how can I work around this / live with it?

thankyou,

Andrew

 

[MooreToolsPlease]

How thick is the oak you are planing?
I know that if it is too thin then it is possible for the plank to bend whilst planing if you are pushing down too hard,
how big is the plank, and how much has it bowed?

 

[Andrew S]

it's 30 x 8 x 1 inch thick... it's bowed about 3mm over the length, ...it hasn't warped through planing pressure, i'm certain of that.

 

[Philly]

Welcome Andrew!
Hmm...could be a few things. Moisture content is one - is your 'shop warm, cold, dry, wet?
Also the timber - is it straight grained or a bit wavy? (sorry for the awful description :roll: )
I normally let timber acclimatise in my workshop for a couple of months before attacking it. And ignore any label the saw mill put on it regarding moisture content - it usually bears no resemblance to the timber you have once it has been transported, stored, etc.....
I would leave it for a week, flatten the original face and try again. Or you might just have a piece of timber that wants to move - in that case cut it up for smaller components.
Hope this helps - and good luck!
Philly

 

[Pekka Huhta]

It's probably not "normal" or "usual", but it can happen. It's just the same thing as when you're ripping a plank and the kerf either opens hugely or tries to close completely. There is residual tensions in the plank and when you plane off the bits keeping the surface in one position, it bows on another. That could happen if there was a big knot just next to "your plank" or if there is reaction wood on the plank (wood, that moves differently as other parts of the trunk).

Just try another piece, it shouldn't bow. A few tries with different pieces will show if it's a problem with your technique or if you just got a kinky plank from the sawmill.

Pekka

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Andrew

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Waka]

Andrew

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Andrew S]

thanks, for the welcomes...

The wood is straight grained and knot free.

My workshop is unheated most of the time (aren't most?) - just like the storage hanger where the wood was stored when I bought it...

How do I know when the wood is acclimatised to my workshop?

Is a de-humidifier a good idea?

thanks,

Andrew

 

[Andrew S]

...also what is the best way to store dry wood in the workshop - vertically?, horizontally? - just stacked one board on another?, or with sticks between each board?

thanks,

Andrew

 

[woodbloke]

Andrew - welcome to the forum. Good advice here from lots of forum members. The reason that the wood is bowing is that stresses are being released as the timber is planed, not unusual, 'specially if kin dried timber is being used. FWIW I always now buy air dried and then further condition it for a couple of months in my moderatly heated and de-humidified 'shop, to answer two of your questions. I store my timber verticaly tho' I don't suppose it makes a lot of difference which way it's stored - Rob

 

[Alf]

Welcome to the forum, Andrew.

Do you want you wood acclimatised to your unheated w'shop? Is it staying there? Or going to end up somewhere else? 'Cos you'll only likely have problems all over again if it's going in a house.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Andrew,
Have I understood you clearly when you say the side you first planed is bowed but the side you last planed is flat? or has the whole lot now warped?

When you first examined the wood was it in winding and is it Quarter cut or Back cut from the mill? Oak is normally Quarter cut and is more stable.

Sorry for being pedantic but I have trouble at times grasping what other people are trying to articulate, as I am sure other people have with my soapbox rantings.

 

[Paul Kierstead]

Many boards warp a little after being milled; in fact, I find there are few that don't, especially if you mill from rough. It is mostly a question of home much and -- to some extent -- how fast. As others noted, some are better then others. I have had boards like you described, and if I planed it flat again it would warp again. If a board really wants to warp, you are fighting a losing battle trying to make it flat.

For boards which are less ornery but still a little bothersome, I find milling twice helps a lot. I roughly cut things oversized and plane flat, not worrying about surface quality. I then let it sit a while; at least overnight, preferably a week or two (good way to interlace projects). Then I plane flat again (and you almost always have to) and mill to final size. The other approach which seems to work if you have lots of consecutive shop time is to mill and *use* right away (this still isn't for boards as tough as the one you have).

 

[Andrew S]

I'm making furniture to go in a house.

should the workshop temperature and humidity be the same as the house?

How do you heat / de-humidify your workshop?