Do I have Home Depot (s)crap wood?

[Michael White]

All,

I naively bought some of that 1x12 red oak from Home Depot to build a bookcase. You know the kind - glued together out of several 1x3s or 1x4s. Anyway, I had to set the job aside, and it sat in my workshop for a year or so. Now, most have boards some sort of warp. One leg has a bow along the length of a good 3/8" over 4'. The top has one of the 1x3s warped, causing a low spot on one side. When I dry fit the bookcase, it does -not- look pleasing to the eye.

I don't think jointing is possible due to the thickness (it'll leave me with a nice sheet of oak paper when I'm done) and the fact that I don't have an

11" wide jointer. Likewise, a planer will just roll it flat.

Any ideas on what this wood is good for? I guess I could glue what I have together and use it for workshop shelving, but I'm not in need of shelving at the moment. It'd probably get in the way more than anything.

Thanks in advance.

[Tom Woodman]

a 3/4" x 1" strip lengthwise under the front edge ... glued & screwed and maybe even dadoed..(about 3/4 " back from the front edge) and running the length of the shelf will not only straighten it out but add a large amount of strength. Also adds a bit of finished look IMHO

[Phisherman]

You might have to rip the board down, then true them up for another project. (I stay away from HD's wood unless I'm desperate.)

[Leon]

First off, No you don't have crap wood. It warped because of how you stored it. Wood warps. I am surprised that you are not having to deal with cupping also.

[Swingman]

As long as your wood is not out and out reaction wood, judicious ripping/crosscutting will make it easier to mitigate bowed, warped, cupped boards and give you usable stock dimensions for many of your project parts. And you can often glue them back together for wider widths if need be.

Part of woodworking is learning to deal with warped, cupped, bowed lumber. Reading the grain and cut of a board will give you a clue as to any future problems you may have, and when you get the knack, a board will even tell you where in the project it needs to go.

As far as buying from HD. Other than the price, HD's red oak is no worse than any other red oak if you know the pitfalls in buying lumber. AAMOF, I keep an eye on the red oak bins when I go into HD for construction lumber, and often pick out the few inevitable quartersawn boards in any stack for future face frame rails and stiles. Even at HD prices, a rift or quartersawn piece may be worth having and be cheaper than the dedicated "quartersawn" bin at the hardwood dealers.

[Sonny]

Ripping and reglueing ....including glueing an added strip to obtain the original width....is a common practice for repairing warped boards.

Another possible way to correct your board is to bend it back using moisture and clamping. It takes a lot longer for this repair.

A related ripping repair: Considering home repair, specifically hardwood floors, when removing a warped or buckled floor board (or two) is a bad or inconvenient choice, a careful cut along a board allows space for a buckled board to lay back down evenly. Any excess spacing, due to kerf, is filled with stained (match floor color) jute rope/twine chinching. And the jute allows for any future expansion-contraction.

[Michael White]

Leon,

Actually, there is a bit, and that does explain a few of the pieces, but most were stored with the longest edge supported by the floor. The floor is a raised plywood floor.

Thanks for pointing that out. I need to build some sort of storage area, anyway.

[Max Mahanke]

Humm ..... starting to see why Krenov refused to use kiln dried wood.