Storing thin wood & straightening cupped wood

[Kevin12]

Hello, all. A lot of the wood I use for scrolling is 1/8", both hardwood and BB ply, and a lot of it tends to cup or bow over time. Is there a "proper" way to store it? I've thought of lying it all flat and putting moderate weight on it, but that seems odd. Rockler and other places display and sell it on end, vertically, but that doesn't seem right, either. My 1/4" wood doesn't seem to have this problem.

Also, once it does bow, I've heard that I should lightly wet the cupped side, then store it all with a weight on top and spacers in between to keep the boards seperate and so they will dry uniformly. Is this right, or is there a better way?

ThanKS, all!

[lucky788scroller]

flat with something covering them , maybe a little weight should be ok. Standing them on end also is ok, depending on the way it was cut from the log. Flatsawn wood will tend to cup, where rift or quarter sawn will remain much flatter.If your wood is sitting on something like a tabletop, it will generally cup so the upper surface comes up in the center. That is because of moisture in the air being absorbed into the wood on that exposed side, so covering it with something is a good idea.If you take an 1/8th inch thick piece, and cover one side with clear packing tape, then leave it stand on end for a couple days, you will notice that the untaped side will be cupping out, or up . Thats moisture and its effect on wood. Dale

[workin for wood]

spraying with mist can fix it as your saying, but it is usually only a temporary fix. the wood won't cup unless there is a moisture problem...the wood is too wet, or the surroundings are too wet. wood should be between 6-8 percent moisture and humidity in your shop should be 30-45 % range. helps to have a moisture meter and a humidistat for the shop. I prefer laying wood flat, and you should have some spacers in between to help with even air flow over your boards. Keep wood high above cement at all times, cement is always damp, even if it feels dry. I think 18" or more is recommended height above cement.
I like to keep my lumber on shelving close to the ceiling, that's the driest area with the most air movement.

[Rivari]

When I purchase sheets of BB the first task when I get home is cutting everything into various sizes which I use most. With everything "sized down" I stack them on a shelf in the woodshop, I leave a couple of sharpening stones on top for weight.

In doing this I have had no problems...minus my 4 legged helper watering the stack once.

[Minnesota scroller]

In doing this I have had no problems...minus my 4 legged helper watering the stack once.

Todd, I would love to have seen a photo of that. I could have taken the photo and made a pattern out of it for a scroll saw portrait. It may have been a good seller.

[Kevin12]

Thanks, guys. Your explanations make so much sense I'm wondering why I didn't think of that. So I'll check the humidity, either cover the lumber or put spacers in between boards, maybe put a little weight on it, and store it high.

Good idea, too, about cutting the BB immediately.

thanks again!

[Rivari]

Mike, I agree it would make a funny pattern...I could try to get him to do it again but the thought of laying in ambush with camera in hand seems rather sick in the head, I think they lock folks up for such behaviour.

[sawdustus]

sawdustus of hiawatha

Kevin,

Here's my two cents worth. On a bright, warm, sunny day, put the wood out on your lawn. Put the cupped (concave side) down and the convex side up. The heat from the sun will pull moisture from the convex side and the moisture from the grass and soil will be pulled into the concave side. Keep a close watch on the wood because it can change shape in a hurry if it is hot enough. When it is straight, it will have reachieved moisture equilibrium. Then follow the advice of all the others for storage. By the way, this will work for any thickness of wood (I have uncupped 4/4 oak this way).

I once tried to glue transparent but colored plastic overhead projector sheets to the inside surface of some napkin holders I spent an inordinate amount of time cutting. Forgot all advice about sealing only one side of a piece of wood. The 1/8 bb ply warped so badly that I had to throw the pieces out. They warped so much that I could not even get a napkin in the holder but they did look nice for a few days.

[MikeDingas]

Lucky788scroller suggested covering the wood. Here's a thought. You can now buy REALLY BIG zip-lock bags. Right now I'm only buying 12x12 plywood so I know I could find a baggie big enought. I suppose if this is a reasonable idea, one could use those large vacuum bags, too. Any comments on this idea?