Baltic birch warping

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vlad335 · #1 Post by **vlad335** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:14 pm

I cut out the 2 sides for the titan from BB last night and they began warping immediately. The original 5x5 sheet was straight BTW.

(Excuse the crappy pic. It's actually worse than the pic shows.)

The scrap pieces left over are really warped. Inversely, I have two 8' x 23 7/8" pieces of Lowes "Blondwood" for the interior panels that are straight as an arrow.

I clamped it down to my workbench over night laying across a board and it just sprang right back.

Anyone else have this problem with BB? Can I fix it somehow or just leave it and hope the interior panels will straighten it out?

Mikey · #2 Post by **Mikey** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:52 pm

vlad335 wrote:I clamped it down to my workbench over night laying across a board and it just sprang right back.

Can I ... just leave it and hope the interior panels will straighten it out?

It seems odd that the full sheet was fine but then warped when you cut it, but perhaps the wood wasn't dry enough when they made the plywood. Fresh cuts then allowed the moisture content to leave more easily and rapidly.

Since you already tried flattening it, it's not likely that installing it in the cabinet will flatten it, either. Besides, if you used it the way it is and then it DID happen to flatten-out in the cabinet, the result might be further problems (air leaks).

vlad335 wrote:Can I fix it somehow

If it is likely to go to waste otherwise, you can try getting it wet (not saturated), and then clamp and weight it for several days. Rehydrating the wood and then forcing it to dry flat is likely to work. This is the method used to bend plywood, so it should work to flatten it also.

#3 Post by **Bill Fitzmaurice** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:09 pm

Don't worry about it, so long as you square everything up during the build process it will be fine. The hardest thing to deal with is being sure the cuts are straight.

Les Webb · #4 Post by **Les Webb** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:22 pm

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:Don't worry about it, so long as you square everything up during the build process it will be fine. The hardest thing to deal with is being sure the cuts are straight.

+1

It gets difficult to cut angles and miters on warped wood, otherwise the horn plates will pull it square when you screw them in.

Les

Tim A · #5 Post by **Tim A** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:27 pm

Use it, it's fine. You'll need to be carefull when flushing them up, that's all.

vlad335 · #6 Post by **vlad335** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:50 pm

Cool. Thanks gentleman. I figured that the panels would pull the side in. I just freakin worry too much sometimes.

I just cut out the round baffle for the 15 so it's almost time to start glueing and screwing.

What part of the Titan build do you guys dislike the most? I hate cutting the baffle/panel 2, drilling holes/inserting the hurricane nuts, and getting the driver to fit right. ( Where I am now...)

Les Webb · #7 Post by **Les Webb** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 2:19 pm

vlad335 wrote:
What part of the Titan build do you guys dislike the most? I hate cutting the baffle/panel 2, drilling holes/inserting the hurricane nuts, and getting the driver to fit right. ( Where I am now...)

Installing the driver. By far the most aggravating part for me. Second place goes to cutting braces.

Les

Tim A · #8 Post by **Tim A** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:48 pm

Les Webb wrote:
vlad335 wrote:
What part of the Titan build do you guys dislike the most? I hate cutting the baffle/panel 2, drilling holes/inserting the hurricane nuts, and getting the driver to fit right. ( Where I am now...)
Installing the driver. By far the most aggravating part for me. Second place goes to cutting braces.

Les

Braces are number one for me. I hate them almost as much as cutting and gluing piezos!

I always test fit the driver to the baffle after the nuts are installed. It makes life a lot easier whn you go to install it. So do flexible shafts for your screw gun.

Les Webb · #9 Post by **Les Webb** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:03 pm

Tim Ard wrote:I hate them almost as much as cutting and gluing piezos!

Ha! Strangely enough I enjoy cutting and gluing piezos

Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:12 pm

Les Webb wrote:
Tim Ard wrote:I hate them almost as much as cutting and gluing piezos!
Ha! Strangely enough I enjoy cutting and gluing piezos

You mean sniffing the glue.

Les Webb · #11 Post by **Les Webb** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:18 pm

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:
Les Webb wrote:
Tim Ard wrote:I hate them almost as much as cutting and gluing piezos!
Ha! Strangely enough I enjoy cutting and gluing piezos
You mean sniffing the glue.

I"ve been told I should just "STOP IT!" It started with permanent markers

Watch it here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HYDwvS9nPCk

vlad335 · #12 Post by **vlad335** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:50 pm

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:
Les Webb wrote:
Tim Ard wrote:I hate them almost as much as cutting and gluing piezos!
Ha! Strangely enough I enjoy cutting and gluing piezos
You mean sniffing the glue.

I like to cut and glue the piezos too.

LOL. Now I know why.

LelandCrooks · #13 Post by **LelandCrooks** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 7:33 pm

SWMBO says the guy's a wimp. He should be sniffing the GREAT BIG black markers. They rule.

Marko Ursin · #14 Post by **Marko Ursin** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:53 am

[quote="Mikey]It seems odd that the full sheet was fine but then warped when you cut it, but perhaps the wood wasn't dry enough when they made the plywood. Fresh cuts then allowed the moisture content to leave more easily and rapidly.[/quote]

Plywood is not made from dried wood. It's made of green wood and dried during gluing process. I've yet to find a perfectly flat bb plywood and I've seen quite a lot of them.
Marko

vlad335 · #15 Post by **vlad335** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:30 am

I hear what you are saying but the 5x5 piece was pretty straight until it was ripped. I know because I looked down the sides when I was at the wood dealer.

I know for a fact that it warped after it was cut down. I cut the sheet in half at 30" then ripped each piece to 24". The 6" leftovers are even more bowed than the wood I used for the sides of the Titan.

Since I never saw anyone post any mention of BB warping after being ripped I'm going to chalk this up as a weird anomoly. I guy that sold me this stuff is definetly going to hear about it on Monday.