The "Frankeinstein" Method of Straightening Out Cupped Boards

[Tarhead]

We've all probably had this problem. You have boards that are within a 1/4" of the thickness you need and they are cupped enough to make them too thin if you joint and plane them flat. When I first saw the description I thought that he was going to rip the boards into a few pieces, square the edges on a jointer/tablesaw and glue them back together flat. This is very different and the first time I've seen it done this way. This is a good channel btw. [video=youtube;cUqjC7E8u44]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUqjC7E8u44[/video]

 

[tarheelz]

Hadn't see that before. Wow. "Frankenstein" is right. Sometimes extreme measures are necessary. Good stuff.

 

[Mike Davis]

That's a lot of extra effort for cheap pine, I would have taken more care in selecting the stock and skipped all that silliness.

 

[sawman101]

Because when flat stock comes to live in your shop for a little while, it might be cupped when you go to use it, and you hate to lose your investment. After watching this video, I have to take into account the amount of time involved in the use of this method, and I couldn't justify the method versus the outcome. Better to just rip those boards and glue up, then go find some better stock for your project; and besides, I'm getting old and need to spend what time I have left wisely!:gar-Bi

 

[Endless Pursuit]

If his sawcuts were 3/4 of the thickness, then he planed it - the depth that he's driving those brads to hold the glued splines must be incredibly precise or they would come out the top surface.

Also, like Mike said, pick better lumber. If he's doing that to make money, his time must be billed out at $5/hr.

Then again, this is YouTube. The place where people spend $20 for "parts" and then 2 hours fabricating something to twist two pieces of wire together....

 

[Wyatt Co.]

I have just witnessed a man with waaaaaay too much time on his hands.

I just beat my cupped pine flat with a hammer.

 

[drw]

Very interesting! While the "Frankeinstein" approach may not be the method of choice for everyone or for every situation, it does give us another possible option. My son-in-law has some wood from an old barn that use to stand on his family's property, instead of cutting the boards into smaller widths, this approach may offer an alternative.

 

[Chilihead]

Agreed that if you have the option of better stock selection, then you can save yourself alot of work. But when it comes to limited stock of salvaged boards or that special tree that came off a family members land, this is a rather ingenious way of making it work. Time consuming? yes. Creative and effective if no other options exist? Probably so.

 

[frankc4113]

Just an awful lot of work.

 

[Hmerkle]

Many here and on his YouTube channel "challanged" him on this approach, but remember what he was going for - distessed / rustic surface. if you would rip those boards, you woul not maintain the circular saw that cut them - this is the only way to do that that I can think of...

To Donn's point, what if I have a piece of wood that is sentimental or simply one I don't want to rip down the face - given that it does take time - most of us are not in a race, this craft does not support our lives rather the other way around!

Last point - If I am correct these are commissioned pieces or at least pieces for sale - I am guessing he is getting paid for this effort!?

 

[Mike Davis]

But, if you just lay them on the grass in the back yard on a sunny day they will straighten up, unless you leave them too long then they will curl the other way.

 

[Brantnative]

I do see the reason for doing this, it would require a very specific set of circumstances (only this wood was available or a certain pattern in the wood to be retained). But I think I'd put a warning label on the top to never look underneath. Just knowing what it looked like would spoil the piece for me.

 

[Tarhead]

If you watch a few of his videos you'll see that he runs a very busy one-man shop doing mostly spec work for designers. A lot of Pottery Barn/Crate and Barrel style pine pieces.

 

[Wyatt Co.]

Brain surgery....

It's wood folks.

 

[Jeff]

That's a lot of extra effort for cheap pine, I would have taken more care in selecting the stock and skipped all that silliness.

I agree with you and there are better ways to do it, but it isn't cheap pine. The video says butternut (white walnut) and hemlock boards although he doesn't specify which he's working on so he's making do with what he has and keeping a rough look. Perhaps it was a custom project using the wood harvested off of someones family property somewhere in Vermont.

It's not a pretty process but a pretty innovative method I think. Mr. Rudman thrives on YouTube videos but he's done some pretty nice work without extremes too.

http://www.mitchellrudman.com

 

[Hmerkle]

Brain surgery....

It's wood folks.

I have to disagree with you Bill - see my earlier post.
To keep or create that "barnboard" look can be quite difficult.

an example - why do we handcut dovetails, that is certainly an ardious process that can be done much more easily with a router or better yet a different joint - but we do it becase it shows the craftsmanship and care the craftsman put into the object - I feel he is doing the same thing here.

 

[Raymond]

If modern man (women included) worried about the back or under-laying surface, we would have allowed quite a few of the masterpiece paintings, recognized a such, go to waste. After perusing his YouTube site, I believe he is trying to preserve the reclaimed woods and/or sentimental woods for just such purposes, even though he doesn't state that in all of his videos. In this particular video, he states he is trying to keep the rustic look of the wood on the presentation side.

 

[Rick M]

The board cupped because it had tree center in it. Would be better to cut out the pith area and you'll have 2 stable quartersawn boards.

 

[Gofor]

Good info for another way to relieve stress in the lumber. Doesn't matter the wood species. Many of the old masterpieces looked ugly on the "not shown" side. Like having another trick in the tool box of knowledge.

Go

 

[tdukes]

Only problem I see with this is, I'm guessing no one looks underneath. I'm a lifetime, I'm 62, away from being a furniture maker but there's no way I'd do this for something for my use.

Do it right or don't do it.