HELP laminate wooden table tops keep bending during buildout

[Itsnorml]

I'm just getting into making handmade furniture.. alright, it may not be "handmade" because I just an electric hand planer (DeWalt) and electric table joiner along with other electric, yet HAND HELD tools...thus "hand made".

Anyways, that's not my issue.. my issue that: I'm trying make some table tops (and matching bottoms) by cutting raw lumber into strips approximately 1.5" X 1.5" (some tables require minor adjustments to this standard). I then run the edges through a joiner to have flat edges to glue together. When we clamp them together with elmers max hold wood glue they are perfectly level (check with an actual level). For some reason, however, once the clamps are removed, they dry with a bend in them. They bow enough to make it very noticeable...like; if I was trying to bend wood then this screwup would be awesome..but I need flag services.

I also have the tool for drilling nice dowel holes and dowels to match.. but we haven't been using them. The videos on YouTube don't show anyone using dowels on smaller tables (like we're making)..only on the bigger, heavier tables do I notice bowels being used.

Can someone, anyone tell me what's causing this bending and what can I possibly do to fix this?

 

[mohick]

sounds like you'r using native lumber and it ain't dry. lots of old barns and such built with it around here seen rafters and such buckle so much one end would come loose and it would twist into every shape possible

 

[Itsnorml]

sounds like you'r using native lumber and it ain't dry. lots of old barns and such built with it around here seen rafters and such buckle so much one end would come loose and it would twist into every shape possible

The actual tree had men cut down for 3-4 weeks and then these logs have set in the sun for another two weeks after being cut before they were used.. how long should they dry for?

(And yes ik about a kiln, but the only place around me who has one is the flooring factory and they don't work with the public)

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

The actual tree had men cut down for 3-4 weeks and then these logs have set in the sun for another two weeks after being cut before they were used.. how long should they dry for?

(And yes ik about a kiln, but the only place around me who has one is the flooring factory and they don't work with the public)

6+ month, maybe a year or two, depending on the species.

 

[ATH]

6+ month, maybe a year or two, depending on the species.

That is AFTER it is sawn into lumber.

No question that the issue is wet wood.

 

[mohick]

Months, maybe years depending on time of year cut, what type of wood, where it is allowed to dry, on and on sounds like you are s o l unless you want to spend years on this project good luck!!!!

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Can build a homeowner grade kiln without too much cost. Use a home dehumidifier in it and a few fans. Even in a kiln, it takes 3-5 weeks to get down to 'cabinet grade" moisture levels. (At least our kiln, which is a Nyle dehumification setup, made by Woodmizer)

 

[BC WetCoast]

Go to the milling forum, there is discussion about homemade kilns, drying lumber etc

 

[JTM]

What species of wood are you using? My father in law builds furniture and uses a lot of cherry which is notorious for twisting even after drying for a year. He does some funky bracing along the edge after cut and planned (I should have paid better attention) before gluing up. But I've helped him assemble table tops and the direction of the grain on each strip is reversed to the adjacent one and we use biscuits before gluing and clamping. The pics are of his work using cherry. The rails on the glass doors are 44" with no twist, amazing.

 

[Itsnorml]

View attachment 532427 View attachment 532428 What species of wood are you using? My father in law builds furniture and uses a lot of cherry which is notorious for twisting even after drying for a year. He does some funky bracing along the edge after cut and planned (I should have paid better attention) before gluing up. But I've helped him assemble table tops and the direction of the grain on each strip is reversed to the adjacent one and we use biscuits before gluing and clamping. The pics are of his work using cherry. The rails on the glass doors are 44" with no twist, amazing.

These specific table tops are cherry, actually lol. I'm a member of a woodworking group on Facebook, too and the only other guy who mentioned having this same issue in the past said that it was with cherry. The issue isn't the cherry is twisting, though..it appears that its bending just a little at each glue point in the lamination. Someone in the Facebook group said that the wood sounded like it was TOO dry and paste the "sweet spot" and that it was absorbing some of the moisture from the glue which was causing it to swell...

 

[ATH]

Don't make this more complicated than it is.

Somebody on FB doesn't know what they are talking about. Kiln dried is 6-8% moisture content. That is a good MC to use for gluing. You cannot get it that low without a kiln unless you are in the desert...even then you couldn't get it that dry in 4-6 weeks.

Do you have access to a moisture meter? If you are doing much woodworking, it is a worthwhile investment so you don't do this too often! If the wood is above 10-12%, it is best to not glue it. If it is 18-20% it is probably a waste to even try. I'd bet wood that was above that it it was 3-4 week old logs that were sawn then immediately used.

 

[mohick]

Think what you Will or believe facebook but it still WET WOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!