Hi All,
I have built the base units for my study out of 18mm ply and when I went to fit them today one of the sides has bowed (i.e. top and bottom are fine but the centre goes into the cupboard more than it should - if you see what I mean). There is another cupboard next to this side (which is fine) so was wondering how best to connect the 2 together to straighten the dodgy one rather than pull the good one into the bowed shape?
Thanks
Lee.
The cupboards are made from 18mm ply but for some reason that side seems of have bowed. If I used the bolts suggested (or even screw the 2 x 18mm sides together) how do I ensure that the bowed one goes straight as opposed to the straight one going bowed?
Clamp it first and see if it has the desired effect.
The cupboard I have made and only noticed the box once I have glued and screwed it all together!! It is about 5mm out at the centre so can't see how I didn't notice it!
It will have a back once I can get the bow out of it. As suggested above, maybe if I can clamp it somehow from the front and get the bow out, maybe gluing and pinning the back onto it (12mm ply) will fix it? Or will it break the glue and return once the clamps are removed?
What I would do is roughly as follows. Cut some struts to make a V shape going from the opposite corners to the center of the bowed panel,. then use a car jack and a bit of strut to push the bow out long enough to fit the struts - a pair should lock into place without fixing.
spray water all over the bent panel and leave it a day or so. Fit the square back with the struts in place.
Might one ask the question as to what made it bow, if one assumes it was not that whey to start with? Damp, heat, being held in a bowed state for some months?
Can it be reversed? IE bowed out rather than in then be sure its well secured and the two bits of ply may then reach a king of agreement over time!
Brian
With the one that bows in be braced by anything in the space (shelf, drawer etc)? (and if not, could it be?)
If joining to an adjacent one, then again if that can be restrained, that may also do the job.
I was going to suggest something very similar. Another thing you could consider is to temporarily close off the front and back e.g. by taping or pinning polyethylene over it, then filling the inside with steam from a wallpaper stripper for perhaps an hour. That adds heat as well as damp. Ideally you would steam the outside at the same time. If you get it reasonably straight when internally braced, you could put wood glue all over the outside surface of the dodgy panel and fix it to the "good" box with those furniture bolts, waiting until the glue has dried properly before removing the internal braces.
It's plywood - it may delaminate.
not if its proper WBP or quality birch ply
and it isn't steamed for a long time
Thanks very much all for your suggestions. I have managed to screw the back edge temporarily to a piece of 4x2 which has taken the bow out of the back and enabled me to screw and glue the 12mm ply back to it. Hoping that once the glue has dried to full strength (it says 24 hours) and I remove the screws it will stay in place or at least be better than it was. Luckily the other side is ok so have been able to position this one next to a good unit so hoping I can then screw/ bolt it to the good one and keep the bow under control.
Thanks
Lee.
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