How to flatten a warped chest top?

[MM]

I bought a flatpack chest of drawers from Ikea, but stupidly left it in the packaging for two weeks while doing other jobs.

When I got round to assembling it, having assembled the carcass and drawers, it was time to put the top panel in place. Unfortunately, this has bowed quite significantly along the length. Whether this is because I had stood the package on its side and not flat, I don't know. But it's bowed and I'm not going to the palaver of putting everything back in the box to return to Ikea.

So the question is, how can I flatten this bowed top panel, which is solid pine with an 'antique' finish? I have actually already achieved a fair bit of flattening in just 24 hours by laying the board, 'hump' side upward, on the carpet and putting some weights on it. But isn't steam used for bending plywood? Perhaps I could apply steam, then replace the weights? Will the bowing disappear completely?

MM

[Harvey Van Sickle]

On 24 Mar 2005, MM wrote

-snip-

Years ago I flattened a warped piece of mahogany by steaming; it worked pretty well, and would probably have been perfectly flat if I'd used weights. (It was a seriously-bowed internal shelf in a small cupboard, and precision wasn't really required.)

You steam the underside of the bow: when I read up on it, the reasoning behind it was that the underside has dried out more than the top-side of the bow (and/or the top side had absorbed more moisture). This makes the underside contract, and rehydrating it restores the balance.

(That seemed to make sense to me; whatever the physics, though, the steaming worked.)

[Mike Halmarack]

Attempts at steaming or laying on of wet cloths can be a lot of work to little effect. Would fitting the top help to flatten it? This is a more likely proposition if there is a pair of drawers at the top, with the related carcasing structure.

[MM]

No. I tried that. But the gap along the unfixed side between the plank and the carcass is then about 1/4 inch. I could insert the screws anyway and pull it down, I suppose, but the bow would still be quite noticeable.

I quite fancy Harvey's hint about steaming, actually. Harvey: How did you apply the steam and for how long? I do have a wallpaper stripper which produces loads of steam.

MM

[Mike Halmarack]

I understand your POV. I've done some damage in the past striving for perfection. :) Using the steaming method the first thing to go will be the antique finish.

[Mike Halmarack]

Perhaps instead of adding moisture content to the concave side, you could reduce the moisture content on the convex side with a hair dryer.

[Magician]

I'd clamp a couple of straight edge lengths of substancial timber too it to force it back into shape, then leave it in the room for a week.

Or just take that panel back, you don't have to return the whole thing.

Dave

[RichardS]

To be honest, if the thing's been kept flat and dry and still it bowed then I think you're onto a non-starter in the long run. If you manage to flatten it using moisture then when it dries out again and reaches equilibrium then there's a good chance it will bow again.

however, if you want to try flattening it then I'd leave it flat with a couple of damp (not wet!) towels on the convex side for a couple of days. You could try and force the issue a little using weights, but they won't be doing the flattening - it'd be the absorbtion of moisture that would do that.

I'd only attempt it if the concave side was actually the finish side - ie the top when installed.

I've done this successfully with a wooden chopping board that was put through the dishwasher by one of my wife's nieces or nephews. Worked and stayed flat. BUT, there was no waterproof finish on this, and of course the warping was caused by external moisture in the first place.

[s--p--o--n--i--x]

I'd suggest placing it hump side up on a couple of battens. Then place a suitable weight in the middle and leave it for a few days/weeks.

s

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - these sort of boards tend to be made of battens of solid timber glued together then veneered. Unlikely to be just a solid chunk of wood. And they're done like that to make warping unlikely. So if it has, it's faulty, and I doubt you'll get it straight again for any length of time.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Basically more fool you for buying solid wood from a cheap manufacturere. Pine as well. Tsk Tsk.

Not a lot you CAN do other then screw it down to some steel braces.

Welcome to the world of Real Wood, warps and all (especially pine)

[Andy Dingley]

This is Ikea - they're done like that to make them out of narrow strips, rather than expensive wide timber.

A "chest top" would have been made from glued-up strips any time since the 18th century, largely for stability. Pre-war though, you're talking talking about two 9" wide planks, nowadays it's nine 2" planks.

I'd bludgeon it flat by adding extra fastenings. I wouldn't steam it, because any finish that permits steam through it isn't going to be improved by the experience.

If you want good furniture, don't buy it from Ikea. Their timber is of appaling quality, as you've just discovered.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Of course. However, it does help make it stable, if done correctly.

Still, you get what you pay for. I bought a 'pine strip' constructed computer station from them for the workshop. It's excellent for what it is, and I couldn't have made one for anywhere near the price buying timber from my local yard.

[Harvey Van Sickle]

On 24 Mar 2005, RichardS wrote

I'm curious about this: what's the theory behind introducing moisture to the convex side? I thought in warped wood, that was the side that already had too much moisture. ("Too much", that is, relative to the concave side.)

In the only experience I've had of un-warping a piece of wood -- years ago, only the once, and for an internal shelf -- I steamed the concave side. (It worked, and 25 years it's still flat.)

[RichardS]

Doh! you are right, of course...

note to self,.... write it, read it, re-read it, _then_ post!

[Harvey Van Sickle]

On 24 Mar 2005, RichardS wrote

Ah, that's a relief: you had me confused there!

[MM]

But a fraction of what you must pay for fully assembled stuff. I saw a

*very* nice chest of drawers in a local shop, professionally made. The price was pretty professional, too: £295. I paid £109. It only needs to house a few socks, underpants, vests and T-shirts. Assembled it doesn't look bad at all, though obviously not in the "£295" bracket. If I were super-rich I'd possibly consider the £295 jobbie. But I'm not.

You can't beat Ikea for value, as evidenced by the huge amount of custom they get. Also, you only have to walk around the showroom for a few minutes to see that you simply won't find stuff with the same design flair at such an affordable price. Not anywhere. And I'm not going to drive 175 miles there and back to exchange a plank, even though I doubt they would anyway without the rest of the parts. What would they do? Remove a plank from a brand-new box? I very much doubt that. It'd be return the whole chest or nothing.

MM

[MM]

Yep. It's like that right now! It *is* having an effect, too, having been under the weight for around a day-and-a- half. I haven't got round to steaming yet, and since I read Harvey's added comment as to steaming the concave side, this is a no-no as it is the finished side.

MM

[MM]

Sorry, I had to stop reading at this point, as I was becoming pissed off by your exhibition of Schadenfreude.

MM

[Grant Fitzgerald]

The last time I bought some flat-pack furniture from Ikea, one of the panels was damaged. I went back to the store with the panel and they opened a new box up and gave me another one. They've also done the same for me when I was missing a part.