Wednesday 5 April 2023

Wood Slab Flattening

Been researching how to flatten the live edge ash slab if the use of weights and water doesn't have the desired effect.

The usual method, if the warping isn't too great, is to use a router running along a level sled, but you run the risk of reducing the thickness too much, not forgetting this operation has to be done on both sides. The thickness of the undressed slab is 3 inches, so there's plenty to play with - the finished article needs to be at least 2 inches thick, depending on length.

However, it's apparently possible to run cuts along the length which relieve stresses. The photo below shows the theory in operation in the extreme.


Here's a shot of the underside of a table showing how it's done for a table top.


The cuts relieve the stress, but the cuts shouldn't be so deep as to seriously weaken the overall load bearing capacity of the table top.

Cutting the ends to as to achieve the right table length will also be an issue, as most circular saws don't go anywhere near as deep as 3 inches. A chainsaw may be the only way, dressing the ripped cut with other woodworking tools. Yes, it should be possible to make a cut on the top side and the underside, but matching up the cuts exactly would be rather difficult.


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