Bent Pine

[The Weegie]

Happy New Year People.

I was given 5 strips of pine wood from a neighbour who was clearing out his garage. The size of the strips are 18mm thick by 7 inch wide and approx 7 feet long.

I was going to make a bookcase from them however every strip has a bend which goes all the way down the middle. Four days ago I decided to try and staighten the bend by using 8 G clamps positioned in the middle of one strip attached to one of my work benches. Went into the shed this morning and it hasn't straightened the pine.

Is there any way of saving the pine. I don't want to put it in the bin.


Cheers

 

[AndyT]

Is your wood cupped or warped?
(Cupped = a bend all along the length, where the edges have curled towards each other; warped = a bend across the wood so it looks like a shelf that has sagged.)

If it is cupped, in theory you could cut it into long narrow strips, bevel the edges and glue them back together, but it seems hardly worth it, especially if the dud wood didn't cost you anything.
If it is bent, you might be able to make a very small bookcase, cutting pieces so that the bend is less apparent on each one.

Also, if your design allowed for it, you might be able to spring the bent shelves into position in a stiff square carcase, getting a sort of pre-stressed shelf. 18mm pine is pretty flimsy anyway, so this might work, on the right scale.

Whatever you do, the frustration factor is likely to be high - which is why you will often see advice on here about not getting wood from a DIY shed, which is where I expect this lot came from.

 

[The Weegie]

Thanks for the reply AndyT.

Cupped. (that is the correct terminology for it lol).

Yeh every board is cupped.

I think I will use the wood to cut out animal shapes on the scrollsaw for the kids to decorate. Just don't like seeing wood go to landfill if it can be saved.

Cheers mate.

 

[TheTiddles]

you can spray the convex side with water and leave it upwards to dry, tht sometimes makes a difference, however, pine that's cut through-and-through is always prone to cupping

Aidan