Warped planks/table top project advice

[five8thsniseach]

I am a complete novice when it comes to working with wood and would really value some advice on how I can/if I should proceed with a project that has a lot of sentimental value attached to it.

In short, I'm working on a table top using planks that are severely warped and I am wondering what is the best course of action to take to try and make the best out of a bad situation. (I will attach photos.)

The longer story behind the project, and the reason I am very reluctant to give up hope that something can be salvaged, is as follows: 30 years ago my parents planted an Italian Alder sapling in our back garden when I was born. It has grown along with me and has always meant a lot to us as a family. However, it was blown over in a storm two winters ago. We were devastated to see our beloved tree felled. I decided the best way for the tree to live on would be to try and make it into something equally beautiful and hopefully useful. So the idea to make it into a dining room table arose and I had a local saw mill cut the trunks into planks. We have very little space but stored it best we could using spacers and weights. Unfortunately the planks still warped very badly. Earlier this year I enrolled on a 10 week woodworking evening course to attempt the table. The moisture content of the planks was still too high at that time to begin but the tutor very kindly offered to at least try to bolt them together for me in the months after the course had ended. The 'table top' was dropped off to me yesterday, and although it is now bolted together, it is still so warped (I was aware it would be but guess I'd naively hoped the bolting would sort it out more than it has) and I am not sure how to proceed. I always knew it would look 'rustic' but I had really hoped I'd be able to do justice to my tree and produce a table that would allow me and my family to enjoy it for many years to come.

Does anyone have any advice or ideas on what could be done, if anything? I really appreciate your time reading this and any advice that you might have (although I fear the most sensible advice would be to give up!).

Many thanks!

 

[thetyreman]

can you not measure it with a moisture meter? I'd keep drying it until it reaches ideally below 10% MC, the only way to do this is to bring it inside for a while and let it dry and acclimatise to a dryer environment, it can take many years to dry a piece of wood properly and I don't claim to be an expert, richard jones is the man for that!

 

[mwinfrance]

"bolt them together", means he did what precisely to the pieces of wood ?
plus what thetyreman said..the wood needs to be acclimatised to where it is going to live, but whether that acclimatisation should be done as separate pieces ( probably ) and then assembled into a table top and made level, depends on what you mean by "bolt them together". Unfasten them and each piece of the wood will find it's own equilibrium, then get them to the same thickness,assemble and finish to flat and level, the latter will probably involve planing. What is the average thickness of the pieces?

 

[five8thsniseach]

can you not measure it with a moisture meter? I'd keep drying it until it reaches ideally below 10% MC, the only way to do this is to bring it inside for a while and let it dry and acclimatise to a dryer environment, it can take many years to dry a piece of wood properly and I don't claim to be an expert, richard jones is the man for that!

Thank you for your reply. Yes, the planks were stored inside for over a year and a half and a moisture meter used to check them.

 

[five8thsniseach]

"bolt them together", means he did what precisely to the pieces of wood ?
plus what thetyreman said..the wood needs to be acclimatised to where it is going to live, but whether that acclimatisation should be done as separate pieces ( probably ) and then assembled into a table top and made level, depends on what you mean by "bolt them together". Unfasten them and each piece of the wood will find it's own equilibrium, then get them to the same thickness,assemble and finish to flat and level, the latter will probably involve planing. What is the average thickness of the pieces?

Many thanks for your reply, I appreciate your time. Apologies, I wasn't very clear on what I meant by "bolted together". I've attached additional photos that show the underside of the table top. The boards are all 1&1/2" thick. I realise I will have to do a bit of planing, but to get them completely flat/level I think I'd lose most of the thickness.

 

[Bingy man]

I’m certainly no expert at these situations but surely once unbolted the timber will be free to move in any direction not to mention what internal stresses have built up . Fully understand the sentiment of your project but if it was me I’d have a plan b project just in case it doesn’t work out in your favour. You get the table idea as it’s the focal point for many families but it’s far better to have something rather than a pile of shavings and firewood. I think I’d unbolt them inside and see what happens as I think the condition of your timber dictate your project and not maybe what you would prefer to make . Good luck

 

[recipio]

It's hard to see what good the bolts will do. The wood will move anyway when they are removed and have they made holes in the top ?
You will always lose wood when planing from rough stock - the trick is to use methods that minimise it. Crosscutting across the top and then planing will reduce wood loss. The joint can be hidden with an inlay line. Another trick is to run a saw kerf down the concave side of the board and glue in a slip of wood which will not be seen on the top. You need a long flat surface to collapse the board flat and then clamp down with the slip and leave overnight to dry.
You can usually get around warped boards by designing out the problem . ! Good luck.

 

[Fitzroy]

Unbolt them and get them properly acclimatised to the final location. You can then see what you are working with. You won't be able straighten them by any mechanical means. Taking a non straight board to straight, flat and true involves removing material. Cutting a long board shorter or narrower means you can straighten it by removing less material.

I cut a cherry tree down in my garden a few years back with the intention of making a chair out the timber. Once it had dried it was so warped and twisted that it was impossible to flatten/true the pieces and keep them large enough to make a chair, so I decided to make a box instead. The box still holds sentimental value and my son has adopted it as his.

If a table is the only thing you're prepared to make you might just have to be creative. For example, use a donor wood for the bulk of the top and veneer (clad) the surface with your boards, and use your straighter boards for edges and bread board ends. The table will still look like it is made from your boards but has a core of other wood.