More about bowed wood

[David Ragan]

Hi, I posted a while back about bowed walnut.
Have not had the guts to unwrap it from the wetting and straightening. Don't think it worked.
So-am going to rip and dowel it, as suggested, every 6-12". At that point, I will be doweling boards that are 2" wide, 3/4, and 40" long.
My question-I also have a Festool Domino joiner. Would that be better? Are the regular dowels that come from Woodcraft, etc adequate for the amount of tension?

Thank you, David

[Mike Chalmers]

Hi, I posted a while back about bowed walnut.
Have not had the guts to unwrap it from the wetting and straightening. Don't think it worked.
So-am going to rip and dowel it, as suggested, every 6-12". At that point, I will be doweling boards that are 2" wide, 3/4, and 40" long.
My question-I also have a Festool Domino joiner. Would that be better? Are the regular dowels that come from Woodcraft, etc adequate for the amount of tension?

Thank you, David

Not sure I understand using dowels. If you are going to rip it and glue it back together, I see no advantage to the extra work of using dowels. Properly jointed and clamped I believe the joint will be stronger than the surrounding wood, so why bother?

[lowell holmes]

I'm the one that posted that solution. When I did it in the early eighties, there were no dominos.

I used the dowels to force the bow out of the two halves. I wouldn't trust clamping to hold the boards straight until the glue dried. The dowels are not there to strengthen the joint, but to straighten the joint. When we finished the door, the glue joint was not visible.
My boards were full two inches thick and IIRC 8" wide. If dominos are as strong as 1/2" diameter dowels, I see no reason not to use them.

You might want to practice on a crooked stud before tackling the walnut. I'm sure you can find a bowed 2x4 at the BORG.

[Wade Lippman]

There was no chance at all of it unbowing. I left a piece of bowed walnut clamped with reverse curve for a year and it sprang back immediately when i took the clamps off.

I would use the wood for shorter pieces; the stress in the wood will never go away. Presumably you will be reversing the bow on each piece? Have fun trying to force it all together. At least with a domino you won't have to worry about them all lining up properly, so that will be a bit easier than with dowels.

[Mike Chalmers]

I'm the one that posted that solution. When I did it in the early eighties, there were no dominos.

I used the dowels to force the bow out of the two halves. I wouldn't trust clamping to hold the boards straight until the glue dried. The dowels are not there to strengthen the joint, but to straighten the joint. When we finished the door, the glue joint was not visible.
My boards were full two inches thick and IIRC 8" wide. If dominos are as strong as 1/2" diameter dowels, I see no reason not to use them.

You might want to practice on a crooked stud before tackling the walnut. I'm sure you can find a bowed 2x4 at the BORG.

Not suggesting dominos either. I would say that the only solution is to cut into pieces, joint carefully, glue into a new panel, and then dress the lumber to remove the fault.

[lowell holmes]

Not suggesting dominos either. I would say that the only solution is to cut into pieces, joint carefully, glue into a new panel, and then dress the lumber to remove the fault.

If there is enough thickness in the board that is bowed, your solution would work as well. If the full thickness of the board is required, then my solution would work.

[David Ragan]

There appears to be no easy way out.
My concern is some apparent slack in the domino. I take heart in Lowell's door staying put. My limited understanding is that there are lots of unrelieved stress in all wood all the time-why else wood it bow/cup, etc? PVA glue is as strong as the wood usually. Im afraid that clampling them straight w cauls is going to be too tricky, and I'm not good at using just the right amount of glue to cover the joint, yet not bleed over onto the wood-which, if there are cauls, tends to spread everywhere under the caul, unless I shield the wood with fancy blue tape. what a hassle! D PS One sheet of "Grade B" 3/4 Walnut ply is $83.....ouch. thanks. "It's only a hobby"