Wood warping, can you tell ahead of time how it will go?

Brian Altop

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Tacoma, WA
Is it possible to tell if a piece of wood will warp once it is cut by the grain pattern or any other tell tail signs?

I know around a knot or some sudden wild grain I've found I can expect some movement, but on other pieces that I thought would be fine then end up acting like their dream was to be part of a roller coaster track!:huh:

Anybody have a trick for figuring this out besides buying extra wood?:D
 
Most of the time it is impossable to tell what a board will do. Alot of it is on where the board came from in the tree, where it grew and how it was dried will all effect what the board will do once milled.
 
You can usually predict which way a flat sawn board will warp. It will curve away from the growth rings. When you make a drawer, for example, put the inside of the tree on the outside of the drawer, to minimize problems with warping and sticking.

For a much better explanation, see R. Bruce Hoadley's book, Understanding Wood.
 

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You can usually predict which way a flat sawn board will warp. It will curve away from the growth rings. When you make a drawer, for example, put the inside of the tree on the outside of the drawer, to minimize problems with warping and sticking.

For a much better explanation, see R. Bruce Hoadley's book, Understanding Wood.

I agree Ken. Wood is predictable. It is one of the first things they taught back in high school wood shop about how the growth rings will effect a glue up. It all comes down to reading the wood and understanding how it will react. Lots of books out there on the subject.
 
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