[rubyfruit]

Hi,

I've bought a piece of seasoned oak 4ft x 1ft x 2inches. I've been advised to brace it by screwing two pieces of wood to the back (about 1ft x 3inches x 1inch each). However which side should I screw them to - the side that would have been closest to the centre of the tree, or the side furthest away? I want to make the oak into a celtic knot panel in relief, but obviously don't want to spend months carving it and find it twists.

Also any other ideas on how to stop twisting?

Thanks,

Ruby

[makinchips]

You say it is seasoned. Do you know how long?

Twisting is different than cupping. Twisting, causes the board to look like a propeller......cupping, as the name implies, causes a cup across the width of the board.

In either case, what you propose to do won't stop either from happening......you'll just have screw holes in the board.

If the board is flat now and it IS seasoned......start carving!

If you want to be sure, let it sit in your shop for a while and see if it moves.

Of course, this is just MHO.

Joe,

Make Chips!

[AlArchie]

Joe has given some good advice...if you are sure it is seasoned properly, have at it......if not sure let it set in your shop for six months or so. Then take a set of "winding sticks" which are simply a perfectly straight pair of 1x1's and place one on either end of the board. By sighting along the top of one, looking toward the other, you can see exactly how much twist or "wind" (pronouced "wine"d) is in the board. That twist can be taken down with a hand plane and you can then run the other side through a planer to true up the whole board. You can do the whole process with a hand plane but it's quite a bit of work.

Al

[Lynn O. Doughty]

When I buy oak, walnut or other hardwoods, no matter how thick, I always use stickers placed about every 2 feet so the board lays flat and air can move around it. If it's seasoned you really only get into trouble when you lay it flat on top of something where air cannot circulate. Moisture gathers between it and the object it's resting on and that is what causes the warping.

[Dan S]

Just a tip, don't lay your wood on concrete. It can warp it in a hurry.

Dan