# Bowed lamination after the fact...



## davidmackv (Nov 21, 2013)

I glued up a cutting board several days ago. I used three clamps across the lamination and I used two cowles like I always do clamped across the horizontal to ensure flatness. I didn't take the clamps off for 36 hours roughly. When I took off the clamps the board was perfectly flat and level on a flat surface. I left it setting on a counter in my house for a couple of days and when I went back to get the board it had bowed across the end grain end.










I am just going to put feet on the bottom, because I don't know how else to correct the bow without decreasing the thickness of the board significantly. Can anyone give an idea of what may have happened? This is the first time I have encountered this problem.


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## Elizabeth (Oct 17, 2009)

My first guess is differing humidity levels in your house vs your shop. Is one noticeably drier than the other? Are you in one of the current bad weather areas of the country, and did it spend much time outside in the transfer from one place to the other?

I once jointed and planed a bunch of boards at home for an evening class I was taking at the local university. By the time I drove them from the shop to the university, in winter, they had all twisted.


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## davidmackv (Nov 21, 2013)

Well, the wood was stored in my shop. I laminated it in the shop, but took it directly to the house after clamping, because the cold weather was coming. The board then spent the rest of the in the house. The humidity is drier in the house. I guess where the wood was stored in the shop may have caused it then. But when I removed the clamps it was fine and that was all done in the house. It bowed a day or two later. Humidity difference would make since though. I will have to beware of that in the future. I usually don't bring things to the house until they are completely finished, but I couldn't leave a glued up board in my shop in sub-zero weather.


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## Woodendeavor (Apr 7, 2011)

Just flip the board over or cover the concave side for a day or two and see if it will straighten out


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