Straightening wood

[ss]

I have some planks of wood that are slightly `banana shape`. Is there an easy way to make them true again, if I use a guide on a circular saw or jigsaw it will follow the `banana` curve. I have a table saw, jig saw and circular saw.

I am sure there must be a simple way but just cant work it out.

thanks

[ss]

I should have mentioned its not warped on the length but on the width, if that makes sense. it is 6 feet long 6 inches wide and it is the 6 inches wide that has arched, so for example if I lay the 6 ft length on a flat surface the middle of the length would be say 6.5 inches and each end would be 6 inches. It came off a neighbours fence that had horizontal slats.

[stuart noble]

Blimey, that's an odd shape. Generally, on a table saw, you would pin something straight to the banana piece (2"x1" or whatever) and run that edge against the saw fence. The opposite edge will then be straight, and you can then run that against the fence to get the second edge straight. Easier to do than explain :-)

[ss]

Actually I think that might do it, I`ll give it a go if it ever stops raining and I can get set up outdoors.

[John Rumm]

Having a little difficulty visualizing which direction it has warped here....

If with the plank laying flat on a surface, its bowed up in the middle by half and inch, then to plane it flat you would need to reduce its thickness by over an inch. That may leave you with nothing but sawdust. The best you can usually do in those cases is chop it into shorter lengths and flatten them.

If the bow is on the other axis, so you just have flat plank but without a decent straight edge on either side, then clamp or pin a striaght plank to it and run it through the table saw to get a straight opposing edge. After that its easy.

[ss]

Thats it, its the straight edges that are warped.

[Andy Champ]

It's got six edges. Four, if you don't count the short ends.

So if the straight edges are warped, does this mean the warped ones are straight?

Andy

[fred]

This might sound stupid but it works. lay it face down on the grass for an afternoon.