Bending warped wood

[Ricko]

Hi

I was given an old pine blanket chest out of a stable the other day, gave it a scrub up and will strip and wax it.

The lid is warped along the grain, is there an easy way to straighten it?

Thanks in advance 

[team tractor]

Just now, Ricko said:

Hi

I was given an old pine blanket chest out of a stable the other day, gave it a scrub up and will strip and wax it.

The lid is warped along the grain, is there an easy way to straighten it?

Thanks in advance 

Weight or force it past and keep it there for a month . 
I bet it’ll not got back tho sorry. 

[Ultrastu]

The answer is no .

No simple way .

 

[team tractor]

Do you mean cupped ? 

[Ricko]

53 minutes ago, team tractor said:

Do you mean cupped ? 

Yes, cupped

[team tractor]

28 minutes ago, Ricko said:

Yes, cupped

Stuffed then sorry

[The Mighty Prawn]

What is cupped? The only cupping I’m familiar with was the one the doctors gives you before a little cough

[team tractor]

27 minutes ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

What is cupped? The only cupping I’m familiar with was the one the doctors gives you before a little cough

When it curls to create a cup/gutter . 

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, I would take the lid off, then soak in water, then clamp down on a flat surface and leave to dry, at least 4 strips of wood and G clamps either side, don't dry to quick, this is what a chap I knew did after the caustic tank to strip old paint.

Edited August 8, 2020 by oldypigeonpopper

[JohnfromUK]

Steam?

[derbyduck]

make a steamer using a wallpaper stripper / steamer , make a steam box that will take the size of the wood you want to straighten and cover it over with a hessian sack and steam for 1hour  then clamp the wood to hold it whilst it cools ,get your clamps and boards ready  to clamp up your wood as fast as can whilst its hot ,  I picked up a good steamer for a £5 of free adds .

youtube will be usefull or a stick making site or pm me if you feel the need .

Edited August 13, 2020 by derbyduck

[ClemFandango]

Once wood has cupped you can try to force it back with steam or water but the likelihood is that if you manage to flatten it out entirely without it splitting (I think unlikely) as it dries it will return to it's warped shape anyway. 

Any effort to force it to hold a shape will cause splitting as the wood moves. 

[derbyduck]

7 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

Once wood has cupped you can try to force it back with steam or water but the likelihood is that if you manage to flatten it out entirely without it splitting (I think unlikely) as it dries it will return to it's warped shape anyway. 

Any effort to force it to hold a shape will cause splitting as the wood moves. 

well if he don't try  he won't know !  I straighten wood that has  grown bent !

[Old farrier]

1 hour ago, derbyduck said:

make a steamer using a wallpaper stripper / steamer , make a steam box that will take the size of the wood you want to straighten and cover it over with a hessian sack and steam for 1hour  then clamp the wood to hold it whilst it cools ,get your clamps and boards ready  to clamp up your wood as fast as can whilst its hot ,  I picked up a good steamer for a £5 of free adds .

youtube will be usefull or a stick making site or pm me if you feel the need .

This ^^^^^^^^

be patient and you will be amazed at how much you can get it to bend 

[ClemFandango]

1 hour ago, derbyduck said:

well if he don't try  he won't know !  I straighten wood that has  grown bent !

And I have bent wood that has grown straight, namely green oak for the timbers in clinker built boats...

Not sure this is the same though. 

I didn't say he shouldn't try just be realistic with your expectations. 

[enfieldspares]

Yes you can bend wood, after all those bent curved backs on chairs don't grow that way in a perfect half circle. But as others has said steaming is how to do it, but, as others also say it often as not try to return to how it was before.

[mudpatten]

Remove the lid and immerse and soak it for a month, or as long as it takes, in a salt solution, assuming you can`t soak it in the sea. Then cramp it flat as others have said, and allow to dry.

Standard practice for the bottom planks when building a gunning punt from traditional materials.

 

[jonny long shanks]

You can try to bend and straighten, and if you do succeed, just remember, that's where the timber wants to go. I've seen walls taken out by timbers. There's no stopping it.