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Planing out a bow?

McDesign | Posted in General Discussion on December 8, 2007 03:55am

Was planing up some white oak yesterday – 8/4 down to 1-3/8″ finished.  Well dried, just from stock at Atlanta Wood Products Center.  Nice stuff, but a couple of pieces had a noticeable bow from end to end; perhaps 5/16″ lift in the middle of an 8′ length.  The were slated for short door rails, so no problem, but I thought I’d try to plane (not joint) the bow out, rather than just flipping the board pass-to-pass like normal.

Thought first I’d plane the concave side, the idea being that I’d be removing the shrunken fibers, and allow the board to relax flat.  No dice – maybe even a little worse bow.  So, I tried planing the convex side – and gosh darn it, it worked!  I took 3/16″ passes till the last; all on  the convex sides.

Perfectly flat now, but I’m not really sure why.  Did the impact of the planer knives put residual compressive stresses in the “long” side, shrinking it?  Did slighty dull knives bang it harder?

Never heard any tips about this – anyone have any ideas or experience?  Does planing all one side make a board lift the ends?

Forrest – now with flat oak boards

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Replies

  1. User avater
    Sphere | Dec 08, 2007 04:10pm | #1

    It has to do with the combination of feed roller presure and what hieght the bed rollers (if so equipped) are playing with each other.

    Planing just one side, or significantly more off one side can, but not always affect flatness and in plane.

    I usually joint one face, but if it exceeds the jointers width, I have at it just like you did. Cup down , bow down first few passes, then flip as needed...just so long as there is no rocking going on while under the knives.

    Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    "People that never get carried away should be"

  2. User avater
    Sphere | Dec 08, 2007 04:18pm | #2

    Wait!

    3/16th? passes? That be all she wrote for either of my whimpy planers, thats the max. I'd ever take per pass and only on suitable stuff..

    Also, the "bow" can be natural wood drying tendancy, or actually sawn into it by a bad sawyer, that too can alter the results or techniques used to flatten.

    Sometimes a scrub plane will get the high stuff outta the way if ya don't have enough stock to keep chewing down to flat and true.

    Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    "People that never get carried away should be"

    1. User avater
      McDesign | Dec 08, 2007 04:42pm | #3

      <3/16th? passes?>

      Yeah man - got my grandad's old Belsaw; put its 2-hp motor on my shaper, then got a 5-Hp "compressor duty" motor from Northern and a double-belt pullet setup.  Motor was like $79 on sale, and it's been FINE for years - I highly recommend it rather than a $300+ Baldor.  Don't need a TEFC; got good dust collection

      View Image

      Leeson Air Compressor Electric Motor — 5SPL HP, Model# 116845

      Single-phase motor is designed for compressor duty applications which require high breakdown torque. This motor has been built into a type 56H frame (which is a small, compact frame) and is designed as a replacement motor for air compressors marked SPL HP or 5 SPL HP (split phase) that draw 15 amps at 230 volts. UL recognized/CSA certified. U.S.A.

      Overall Rating

      View Image

      4.2 / 5

      4 of 5 would recommend this product to a friend.

       

      Forrest

      1. User avater
        Sphere | Dec 08, 2007 04:47pm | #4

        You related to Tim the "Tool man" Allen  ?  LOL

        ruuuh, ruhhh?

        Hey I did know a shop that had a 30" or so planer, 3ph 10 hp or such...he had a Yamaha MC transmission for the feed speeds...it was awesome cool.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

        "People that never get carried away should be"

        1. User avater
          BossHog | Dec 08, 2007 05:47pm | #5

          I saw a grist mill that was run by a water wheel once. In the "basement" the guy had rigged a lathe to run off one of the line shafts. The speeds were controlles by a tranny out of an old Chevy truck. I wonder if you could rig up a hydrostatic tranny out of a lawn mower to control feed speeds. That would give you infinite variability...
          Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field. [Eisenhower]

          1. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 08, 2007 05:55pm | #6

            Anything is possible, just depends how bad ya want it.

            The more years I screw around with wood, the more I wish I had a wide belt thickness sander Vs a killer planer, I got spoiled in the guitar shops. Oh, and wide azz, aircraft carrier of a jointer is mandatory.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            "People that never get carried away should be"

          2. User avater
            BossHog | Dec 08, 2007 05:58pm | #7

            I've never used a really nice jointer. So I guess I don't know what I'm missing.
            Some people are worried about the difference between right and wrong. I'm worried about the difference between wrong and fun. [P.J. O'Rourke]

          3. caseyr | Dec 09, 2007 02:03am | #12

            "...I wish I had a wide belt thickness sander ..."
            Here you go - have at it:http://www.rockslide.org/drum%20sander.html
            http://www.areddy.net/wood/tools.html
            http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=powertools&file=articles_528.shtml
            http://home.att.net/~ShipModelFAQ/ShopNotes/smf-SN-ThicknessSander.html
            http://www.ukuleles.com/BuildingHowTo/sandthck.html
            http://www.mimf.com/archives/thickness_sander2.htm

          4. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 09, 2007 02:08am | #13

            Yeah, lemme pour a slab first LOL

            We had a timesaver in one shop, but my all time favorite was the SCMI duel head.  80 grit first head, 150 on the second. DRO, Variable feed..ah, the joys of sanding.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            "People that never get carried away should be"

          5. VaTom | Dec 09, 2007 04:50pm | #14

            Suggestion: make it a large slab. 

            My 42" 3 drum sander oscillates on the first 2.  3 drive motors plus the feed motor.  Occupies 8'x9', 11k lbs.  $50, the only auction bid.  Never really expected to own such a thing. 

            Nobody else wanted to try to move it.  Was a challenge.  Probably one near you- they don't die.  Change-over way too slow for a production shop.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

        2. User avater
          McDesign | Dec 08, 2007 08:04pm | #8

          Here's the first couple of doors -

          View Image

          Forrest

          Edited 12/8/2007 12:05 pm by McDesign

          1. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 08, 2007 09:45pm | #9

            Thems purty. Whats the field gonna be?

            Full size doors want FLAT stock fer shure, glad ya were able to get it down.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            "People that never get carried away should be"

          2. User avater
            McDesign | Dec 08, 2007 10:06pm | #10

            Tempered beveled glass - Two sets will divide a dining room from a parlor.  I had done these screens before on that balcony; they wanted them copied for the downstairs inside.  No molding other than the glass retaining bit; they'll be painted.

            View Image

            Forrest

            Edited 12/8/2007 2:07 pm by McDesign

          3. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 08, 2007 10:21pm | #11

            Cool.

            Hey, I have been using Azek for glass stop and glazing putty substitute..Stainless Steel pins. And esp. if painted works well. But I am making windows with LOTS of pcs. Maybe wood would be OK for interior doors, I mean, about the same amount of work to make and install.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            "People that never get carried away should be"

          4. Snort | Dec 09, 2007 05:13pm | #15

            How do router bits hold up to the Azeck? Got a job with 4 12/0x 8/0 Marvin sliders... the clients have a thing about the beaded sticking, saying they can't live in the, house if they can see it, and it's only on the out of the doors!<G> Doors will be painted, so I figured I could use a reverse sticking bit and make a cover piece... oh yeah, how does glass react to those SS pins? This house has mahogany 3/4 t&g siding & soffits, and 10/4 x 8 mahogany fascia on the 4' overhangs... just to keep things in perspective... LOL Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,

            Winterlude by the telephone wire,

            Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,

            Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.

            The moonlight reflects from the window

            Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.

            Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,

            Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.

          5. stevent1 | Dec 09, 2007 06:06pm | #16

            Good looking doors!

            What type of joinery did you use for the stiles and rails?

             

            Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood

          6. User avater
            McDesign | Dec 09, 2007 08:46pm | #18

            Actually, they're just half-lapped the entire corner; glue and some short buried screws!

            Forrest

          7. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 09, 2007 06:08pm | #17

            Suprisingly, the bits are holding up great. I am milling a 5/32 ogee for the interior and a bevel to mimick putty for the outside.

            I run a length on the router table in multiples of common sizes, (my glass size is 10x20, so, I'm starting with about 44" rough )

            I was ripping the profile off on the TS, THAT was getting hairy and the offal would start snaking around and flopping, so I set a rip fence up on the BAndsaw and sweet as honey, they behave.

            The secret to the pins is pretty simple..use the right length..I did zap through a mullion and clip a pane, but the SS pins deflect and don't chip the edge (so far) .

            All in all, it is a great way IMO of getting it done, and avoiding future "Putty failure" related sash problems. Keep in mind I am restoring 100 YO windows, and some are so bad, I am basically making all new sash.

            Your reverse sticking sounds like fun....not.  I'd add some glue and be sure to miss the glass with the pins, this azek is flexible enough to allow gaps.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            "People that never get carried away should be"

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