Beech worktop severely warped - Help!?

[Dissolve]

Hello,

I have 3m of solid beech worktop that has 4 coats of danish oil on each side/edge from the second it got delivered. It's been laid flat on my workshop floor with lots of pressure on it, and I've kept the humidity around 35-65 realisticly but the temperature may have dropped very low at night.

What could have cause this much distortion? It's cupped across it's with and the gap at the centre when a straight edge is laid across is nearing 9/10mm. Can the temperature alone cause this much trouble?

Anyone think this is save-able!? Obviously I know it might not straighten out completely but I'd rather not have to plane the entire length of it flat! :shock:

If I were to replace it and buy another one. Is everyone's money on the temperature being the culprit?

 

[Tom K]

Whats the workshop floor made of? Sounds like moisture rather than temperature is at fault.

 

[Chrispy]

Turn it over, if all else stays the same then it will flatten out, when it does lift it off the floor and let the same amount of air get to both sides hopefully it will then stay flat.

 

[RogerBoyle]

If it was on or just above a concrete floor then I would expect moisture to be the culprit.

Leave it for a few days to a week in a different location and see if it comes back before doing anything to it

Roger

 

[Paul Chapman]

I would guess that laying it on the workshop floor was the cause of the warping. Would have been better if you had allowed air to circulate around the top and bottom surfaces.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Dissolve]

It's an insulated building.. Like a cold room. The walls are made from galvanized steel sheets with thick, dense foam in the middle. So it's extremely well insulated with double glazed door/windows.

I've been trying to regulate the humidity between 45-55 but I'd say it's been between 35-65 currently.. I've raised it up onto my old workbench at the moment but it's unsupported at each end by about 0.5m. Should I make spacer on the floor to lift it up and put a bit of weight on top of it? Or just leave it as it is?

Thanks

 

[katellwood]

Why not try to encourage it back with straight bearers (4x2's) either side and cramps, or if you haven't got cramps drill some holes through the bearers and use some M10 or M12 studding, nuts and large washers

Don't try to fully flatten straight away, just half a turn on the cramps or nuts daily to encourage the worktop flat I would do this at the ends and at metre centres (4 in total)

Alternatively saw-gate the underside (similar to oak flooring) to flatten when you fit it

Hope this helps

 

[Chems]

I've raised it up onto my old workbench at the moment but it's unsupported at each end by about 0.5m. Should I make spacer on the floor to lift it up and put a bit of weight on top of it? Or just leave it as it is?

Its nothing to do with excessive humidity or temperature, nothing out of the ordinary.

It doesn't matter if its not supported length ways. I'm sure it will come back, I often have these big pine boards which warp in the workshop when they are stacked up, but once they come out and are cut to size and aired the come back straight.