Likelihood hardwood frames will stay flat ?

[Will Blick]

You select premium hardwoods. You let the wood acclimate to your shop for ample time. Your shop stays 60 - 80 deg. F all year. Humidity between 25 - 45% rh. You make some face frames or raised panel doors, with frames up to 40" long. The frames are sealed with poly on all sides. They lay perfectly flat on a flat work top when finished. The finished products home, could end up in rh ranges from 15% - 65%.

In 5 years, what is the likelihood those frames will still be perfectly flat?

In other words, for you pros who have done this for years.... have you often done everything by the book, and still end up with slightly warped frames in time? Is it very uncommon?

[Frank Drew]

Will,

I think a solid wood panel is more likely to warp, taking the frame with it unless the panel is relatively thin and light, so very well-seasoned stuff is essential for panels. Some of the showiest woods, such as crotch, have the most potential for unhappy surprises.

In other words, I'd be pretty confident that a relatively straight-grained frame would stay flat; I've never had any call backs, at any rate. A door is only restrained along the hinge edge, so there is the potential for movement away from the hinges, but a frame and panel is, by nature, a pretty stable construction, assuming well-chosen materials and a balanced finish, including top and bottom edges.