Bed rails of of single board? + Use of wide boards

[Petertay]

Question 1
I will be making a bedframe with head and foot boards out of walnut. My question is about the side rails. Assuming they will be 8 x 1.5 inches x 7 feet, could I use a single board, or will that invite warping. The option would be to laminate two 3/4 boards together, but my preference is to use a single board.

Question 2
I have a 40-inch diameter walnut log at the mill but it will be a few days before it gets cut (so I have time to ask this question). Is there any advantage in having the miller save a few 1 x 40 inch wide planks? I would love to make something out of such wide planks, especially being able to say they were cut off the homeplace.

But a cabinet maker I know never uses wide boards. Any board over 6 inches wide gets ripped in half, one side flipped over, and glued back together. He says this prevents warping. (But he is not interested figure; he glues any two boards together.)
Is it true that making a tabletop or something out of wide planks is a waste of time?

Thanks for the help.

Peter

 

[woadwunner]

If the wood is dry enough, below 10%, and stays stable at that, It probably won't warp, but there is no guarantee. Ripping and reversing is a good way to prevent warping and can make an interesting design as well.

 

[Petertay]

Thanks for the reply. I have another question.
Last fall I made a hutch of old air-dried walnut. 12% moisture probably, but I didn't have a tester at the time. My shop is in northern Illinois where the humidity can be quite high.

The hutch went to a home in Kentucky, and now one of the three-foot tall inset doors has warped so that it won't close tightly. Rails and stiles are made of 3/4 x 3 inch clear wood. Raised panels are properly set in the grooves.

Do suppose if I clamp the door shut with a wedge at the other end the warp can be pulled out?

Thanks. ...Peter

 

[woadwunner]

Thanks for the reply. I have another question.
Last fall I made a hutch of old air-dried walnut. 12% moisture probably, but I didn't have a tester at the time. My shop is in northern Illinois where the humidity can be quite high.

The hutch went to a home in Kentucky, and now one of the three-foot tall inset doors has warped so that it won't close tightly. Rails and stiles are made of 3/4 x 3 inch clear wood. Raised panels are properly set in the grooves.

Do suppose if I clamp the door shut with a wedge at the other end the warp can be pulled out?

Thanks. ...Peter

That is not likely to pull the warp out by itself. if you can put the door in a steambox and get it damp first. then you wedge and clamp may work. Damp wood it much easier to re-aline then dry. Then clamp til dry.

 

[ironhat]

Question 1
I will be making a bedframe with head and foot boards out of walnut. My question is about the side rails. Assuming they will be 8 x 1.5 inches x 7 feet, could I use a single board, or will that invite warping. The option would be to laminate two 3/4 boards together, but my preference is to use a single board.

Question 2
I have a 40-inch diameter walnut log at the mill but it will be a few days before it gets cut (so I have time to ask this question). Is there any advantage in having the miller save a few 1 x 40 inch wide planks? I would love to make something out of such wide planks, especially being able to say they were cut off the homeplace.

But a cabinet maker I know never uses wide boards. Any board over 6 inches wide gets ripped in half, one side flipped over, and glued back together. He says this prevents warping. (But he is not interested figure; he glues any two boards together.)
Is it true that making a tabletop or something out of wide planks is a waste of time?

Thanks for the help.

Peter

An old method of using wide planks is to finish the piece, short of finish sanding. Using either the table saw or the circular saw cut parallel kerfs starting in from the sides by 6" or so and starting / stopping from the ends a like amount. I never did read about the depth of cut but, does half the thickness of the wood sound about right. Umm, here's a thought. If you don't get any more hits but mine, I would GoodSearch it Yahoo it or some such. BTW, the first one allows you to signify a charity who would get a one cent incentive, automatically, for every 'new' search that you do. Neat, no?!