bother

[Peter Huebner]

Don't you love it when ....

Neighbour commissioned a sink benchtop; they are supplying the timber. Small job, easy, right?

First timber they come up with was sappy Rimu 9"x3/4", full of borer it turned out. I called them into the shop after planing it, got them to take a look and they took it away again (1 hour blown) and came back with some 6" x 1 1/2" macrocarpa. Planed it, gauged it, trued everything up ready for gluing. Lots of tiny and not so tiny dead knots. Hard to find a decent layout. Well.

Left the shop to get a cuppa and a mask-free breather and came back to find the planks had warped, as well as cupped, visibly since planing nary 1 3/4 hours before. Oh ye gods. [***censored***] I just hope the ends aren't going to start to split, since I have cut to within 6" of final length ...

-Peter

[Joe Bemier]

While I am not familiar with that wood, it sounds like its not dried properly, Peter.

[Peter Huebner]

That is my conclusion also. I clamped them all together, standing on edge, with spacers between and put them up on blocks so the air can flow evenly on all sides. The cupping seems to have reverted back somewhat already.

I'm going to leave it for a while before I do anything more with it.

Mostly I was just being exasperated with these 'little jobs' where someone brings in their own lumber, not understanding anything much about it, and it turns into a headache, or an outright pain.

-P.

[SonomaProducts.com]

I would make sure you use breadboard ends or attach some cross runners on the under side and finish all sides with a good film finish if you have material that likes to make such moves.

Peter Huebner wrote: