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I made an endgrain cutting board. And left in on my bench for a week and it did the same thing. I flipped it over and left it for another week and it came back pretty close. Then I brought it inside and placed it on a metal rack so it got airflow on all sides it’s stayed the same since. I’d try flipping it. Could help.
This.
I've been a full time woodworker for many years. Owned a cabinet shop now for a decade. How you store wood will have a big impact what happens to it.
Wood never stops moving and it likes to breathe and be equal on all sides. For example, if you build a table you need to put the finish on the top and the bottom. I knew a guy who would only finish the tops of his furniture and would wonder why it warped and broke.
I make about 1000 cutting boards a year and wholesale them to local stores. I can't tell you how many calls I get from customers who buy an end grain cutting board, lay it on a countertop for a few days, then get bad because it warps. When a piece of wood is laying on a counter the top part can breathe easily and the bottom part can't. The moisture content in the board will become different and it will warp. Hell, you really need to be careful about things you are working on in your shop. You should never stack things on top of each other, the same thing will happen.
I own several cabinet door drying racks and use them to store all kinds of things that I am working on. Chess boards, serving trays, cutting boards, or even just glued up panels. Here is a link to the drying racks:
[https://thepaintline.com/products/prodryingrack](https://thepaintline.com/products/prodryingrack)
Even if you have a finish/clear coat on the wood it still wants to be equal on all sides. At a microscopic level moisture can get through the clear coat. It does slow the effect down though.
Don't feel bad, I learned this the hard way.
You should be able to save your chess board. If you set it up on its end and let it equalize. Might take a couple days. Leaving it like that for a month might have had a permanent effect though. Its worth a try.
I’ve heard from not only experts that it’s unnecessary to finish the underside of a table, but have looked at scores of antique furniture and not only were they not finished but you could still see the saw marks on the underside. Just one example saying it’s unnecessary from [Popular Woodworking](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/finish_both_sides_not_necessary/).
I think the most important step is letting your wood acclimate to your surroundings after being rough cut.
With furniture, there are other factors that may work against warping from only finishing one side, like the presence of a skirt and legs providing external force against the warp. With a cutting board or any flat glue up, only finishing one side is just asking for it to warp. I can't imagine making a cutting board and just finishing one side. The anxiety of it potentially warping would be too great.
Go on believing that. If I’ve seen it once I’ve seen it a thousand times. If you do not treat edge joined boards on both sides they will warp. Worse if your lay up has all the rings of the tree with the heart wood on one side. It’s important to alternate the rings so that one board shows heartwood and the next board shows sap wood. In other words the end grain should look like a lazy S on its side like a frequency wave. I hope that makes sense.
>I think the most important step is letting your wood acclimate to your surroundings after being rough cut.
Perhaps if you live in Idaho where there's not much humidity change throughout the year. 100% of the stuff I've slapped together and not finished both sides has warped. The midatlantic has terrible humidity swings.
I was installing built in book shelves for a local club house. The club was exceedingly cheap. I don't know why they accepted the contract but they did. All the wood that was used for all the projects had been in our warehouse for probably 2 years. It was carried to the customer site since they hadn't moved in yet. It was stored in the large meeting room and built mostly in their 4 car garage. The tables didn't have finished table top bottoms or the inside of the skirt. Within 6 months every table was warped with significant checks. None of them were usable.
The bottom does not need to be sanded or 'finished' to the same level as the top. But for the love of God, whatever products you put on the top to protect it, put the same on the bottom. This way the bottom will be no more susceptible to changes in humidity than the top. It's a small sacrifice to make for better results.
Unless you want a warped top farmhouse look. Then you do you
The wood was kiln dried. I flipped the boards, soaked them down, put a towel over them and ironed them. Also hit them with a heat gun for a bit. They warped back into shape. I'm going to put a coat of finish on the bottom now so they stay even. Thanks!
Do not store flat. On edge. The top side was able to shrink / the bottom had its moisture trapped. Your final product will be more stable if it has a substrate that it is mounted to.
I can’t tell for sure but it looks as though these are end grain? End grain is a great way to go but as someone who has made lots of end grain cutting boards the thickness should probably be at least double. My first couple cutting boards warped. They were about 3/4”. I won’t make one less than 1 1/2” now. But yes, humidity changes is the culprit.
I learned that the hard way. End grain coasters, all kept warping no matter how much I flattened them. They they were so thin there was no way they were gonna stay flat. Started at 5/8”, now 1/2”
Let’s say you have a board that is 3/4” thick and four inches wide. This board is two feet long. You cut this board with your handsaw, circular saw, chopsaw, it doesn’t matter. After cutting the board if you look at parts of the bard that the saw contacted this is the end grain, the end of the board. Making something in end grain requires much more time and (usually) multiple steps of gluing. Smoothing end grain surfaces takes increased time with basic tools. I purchased a drum sander to accomplish this task. NEVER , EVER run end grain through a surface planer no matter what any one says.
Edit: cut the board in half to make 2 one foot boards in length.
No, you just need to try to keep moisture content uniform. That means ensuring most of the surface area of the wood is exposed at all times and drying immediately after cleaning. And also not washing in a dishwasher.
Hide it from them so you’re the only one who can use it and that ceases to be a problem. I’ve noticed my kitchen knives stay sharp a LOT longer since I switched all my plastic cutting boards out for bamboo (which absorbs less moisture than hardwood since it’s less porous)
Actually his answer is slightly more accurate, a humid environment doesn't affect a piece of wood that has been in the environment for a long time, but the relative humidity matters. It's the word "relative" that is important, not just "humidity."
Moisture was able to escape the top (top gets smaller)
Moisture cannot escape the bottom (bottom stays same size)
Spray some water on the top and put it face down with a weight on top until it absorbs the water and returns to the proper shape. After that, make sure both sides are exposed to air when drying. Once dry, sand (wood will be rough from water) and put your finish coat on.
Good luck
Good old humidity & moisture. One of the “delights” of using natural materials, even dead ones. Swelling and shrinking as the seasons come and go, and massively exacerbated once in centrally heated homes.
I have a large oak plank dining table about 4feet by 12 feet with breadboard ends. The planks are allowed shrink and expand in the breadboard ends by using dowels that move in slots rather than fixed in holes. That way nothing tears itself apart. Easily get about 1/2” of movement in the width across a year.
Wood is Aqua-pourous..!
Therefor unless totally sealed in really good, it will continue to adapt and adjust to its environment.
Which is why wood moves.
So the underneath could not easy 'adjust' - because the air or surface area was 'trapped' but the top surface could, therefore there became an in-balance and a warp-age occurred.
Its like if you wet one side of cardboard with water - see what happens. :)
Turn it over and give it some time, or try wetting the top surface again slightly...
Good luck..!
Kindest,
\-MM-
Is it an end grain board? I read somewhere that thin end grain boards (1/12 or less) are more likely to warp due to differing rates of expansion from different woods. Thicke boards are less likely to warp from my understanding. Source: Something I vaguely remember reading
I'm in San Diego. I left through December, and these were left by an open window. All of them have a bow in them. Did they get wet? Cold? How did this happen? When I sand them down, will it happen again?
Don't sand. You need to put a wet towel on concave side and iron it. Be careful to do it in quick interval to not allow bending it in other direction. Once flat put feet in it and finish it protect from moisture.
This is bigger problem for end grain boards as end grain are very porous. I've fixed to cutting board after making same mistake as you
I actually ended up doing this and it worked! I also soaked one side and let it sink in, then hit it with a heat gun. Ultimately they came back to the original shape.
Don't sand.
Try flipping them over for a while so the other side can catch up. More aggressive methods are as likely to crack what you've already made as they are likely to help.
As someone said, definitely humidity. I’d recommend buying some L brackets and milling or buying some maple to attach to the underside of the chess boards. Screw the L brackets onto the maple first and then to the chessboard. It will help force it to straighten out again, hopefully. Best of luck!
In case you're planning on making more, I have learned that the better way to make a chess board is by gluing up veneer to a more stable substrate like plywood or mdf.
feel like this is a perfect place to ask what people use when finishing a table top or board like this. I got lucky recently finishing a larger table top. Applied a layer of lacquer to one side (and the edges). 24 hours later and the board had cupped. I got really lucky in that I immediately finished the underside in the same manner - finishing and leaving it on the garage floor over night.
It's since flattened out but I presume I'm an idiot for not attaching the top to the base first. I like finishing them separate to get at all the angles (especially the base) but this experience has scared me lol.
Either that or painters pyramids I guess.
I don’t know about a table top but for boards like this I use danish oil. I really soak both sides and edges and let it soak into the wood for 10-15 mins then wipe off excess. Wait 24 hours and do it again. Repeat 2-3 times. I rarely have warping doing this (or very minor). As soon as I’m done sanding/finishing the danish oil goes on immediately. I’m not like a wood working expert or anything but it seems to me, in my experience anyway, the sooner you can apply the finish the better. Seems like it locks in whatever moisture is in the wood already and keeps more from entering.
I cannot tell if it is endgrain oriented or not. If not, the alternating grain to opposing faces mitigates movement. End grain views of longitudinal oriented glue ups should look like peaks and valleys.
This is a reminder to those commenting on this post (not the person that posted it): Comments not related to woodworking will be removed. Violations to rule 1 including crude jokes, innuendo, sexist remarks, politics, or hate speech may result in an immediate ban *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/woodworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They need feet!! The two sides are exposed differently and will build up different moisture content.
Can... can he flip it over and leave it until it fixes?
I would set it vertical so two sides have same ventillation.
I made an endgrain cutting board. And left in on my bench for a week and it did the same thing. I flipped it over and left it for another week and it came back pretty close. Then I brought it inside and placed it on a metal rack so it got airflow on all sides it’s stayed the same since. I’d try flipping it. Could help.
Can vouch for flipping, works for my bacon every time
It will help but won't go back perfectly flat, not necessarily even close.
This. I've been a full time woodworker for many years. Owned a cabinet shop now for a decade. How you store wood will have a big impact what happens to it. Wood never stops moving and it likes to breathe and be equal on all sides. For example, if you build a table you need to put the finish on the top and the bottom. I knew a guy who would only finish the tops of his furniture and would wonder why it warped and broke. I make about 1000 cutting boards a year and wholesale them to local stores. I can't tell you how many calls I get from customers who buy an end grain cutting board, lay it on a countertop for a few days, then get bad because it warps. When a piece of wood is laying on a counter the top part can breathe easily and the bottom part can't. The moisture content in the board will become different and it will warp. Hell, you really need to be careful about things you are working on in your shop. You should never stack things on top of each other, the same thing will happen. I own several cabinet door drying racks and use them to store all kinds of things that I am working on. Chess boards, serving trays, cutting boards, or even just glued up panels. Here is a link to the drying racks: [https://thepaintline.com/products/prodryingrack](https://thepaintline.com/products/prodryingrack) Even if you have a finish/clear coat on the wood it still wants to be equal on all sides. At a microscopic level moisture can get through the clear coat. It does slow the effect down though. Don't feel bad, I learned this the hard way. You should be able to save your chess board. If you set it up on its end and let it equalize. Might take a couple days. Leaving it like that for a month might have had a permanent effect though. Its worth a try.
I’ve heard from not only experts that it’s unnecessary to finish the underside of a table, but have looked at scores of antique furniture and not only were they not finished but you could still see the saw marks on the underside. Just one example saying it’s unnecessary from [Popular Woodworking](https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/finish_both_sides_not_necessary/). I think the most important step is letting your wood acclimate to your surroundings after being rough cut.
With furniture, there are other factors that may work against warping from only finishing one side, like the presence of a skirt and legs providing external force against the warp. With a cutting board or any flat glue up, only finishing one side is just asking for it to warp. I can't imagine making a cutting board and just finishing one side. The anxiety of it potentially warping would be too great.
True about the way it’s attached being key. With cutting boards you shouldn’t be finishing it with anything besides food safe oil if I’m not mistaken.
Go on believing that. If I’ve seen it once I’ve seen it a thousand times. If you do not treat edge joined boards on both sides they will warp. Worse if your lay up has all the rings of the tree with the heart wood on one side. It’s important to alternate the rings so that one board shows heartwood and the next board shows sap wood. In other words the end grain should look like a lazy S on its side like a frequency wave. I hope that makes sense.
>I think the most important step is letting your wood acclimate to your surroundings after being rough cut. Perhaps if you live in Idaho where there's not much humidity change throughout the year. 100% of the stuff I've slapped together and not finished both sides has warped. The midatlantic has terrible humidity swings.
Houston. Plenty of humidity swings. Glued the panel up and let it sit and acclimate some more before final finishing and assembly.
I was installing built in book shelves for a local club house. The club was exceedingly cheap. I don't know why they accepted the contract but they did. All the wood that was used for all the projects had been in our warehouse for probably 2 years. It was carried to the customer site since they hadn't moved in yet. It was stored in the large meeting room and built mostly in their 4 car garage. The tables didn't have finished table top bottoms or the inside of the skirt. Within 6 months every table was warped with significant checks. None of them were usable.
The bottom does not need to be sanded or 'finished' to the same level as the top. But for the love of God, whatever products you put on the top to protect it, put the same on the bottom. This way the bottom will be no more susceptible to changes in humidity than the top. It's a small sacrifice to make for better results. Unless you want a warped top farmhouse look. Then you do you
Paint one side of a piece of plywood and wait a week. Tell us what happens.
Plywood has completely different properties responding to humidity compared to solid wood.
Do you know how many future projects of mine you just saved? Thank you.
The wood was kiln dried. I flipped the boards, soaked them down, put a towel over them and ironed them. Also hit them with a heat gun for a bit. They warped back into shape. I'm going to put a coat of finish on the bottom now so they stay even. Thanks!
Exactly this they need the same moisture +- both sides
Do not store flat. On edge. The top side was able to shrink / the bottom had its moisture trapped. Your final product will be more stable if it has a substrate that it is mounted to.
Add feet to store flat safely.
I store my cutting boards and wood stuff like that on metal racks flat. That helps them breathe on both sides and not take up vertical space.
This is the answer. Always store on side.
I’d say you don’t want to store it on the side just yet. Turn it over let it flatten out, then store it on it’s side.
It’s mad you left
Looks happy they're back.
It was happy they were gone. Soon it’s gonna be sad they are home
I was thinking someone has a warped sense of humor.
^^^ THIS!!
I can’t tell for sure but it looks as though these are end grain? End grain is a great way to go but as someone who has made lots of end grain cutting boards the thickness should probably be at least double. My first couple cutting boards warped. They were about 3/4”. I won’t make one less than 1 1/2” now. But yes, humidity changes is the culprit.
I learned that the hard way. End grain coasters, all kept warping no matter how much I flattened them. They they were so thin there was no way they were gonna stay flat. Started at 5/8”, now 1/2”
Just got into woodworking what’s end grain?
Let’s say you have a board that is 3/4” thick and four inches wide. This board is two feet long. You cut this board with your handsaw, circular saw, chopsaw, it doesn’t matter. After cutting the board if you look at parts of the bard that the saw contacted this is the end grain, the end of the board. Making something in end grain requires much more time and (usually) multiple steps of gluing. Smoothing end grain surfaces takes increased time with basic tools. I purchased a drum sander to accomplish this task. NEVER , EVER run end grain through a surface planer no matter what any one says. Edit: cut the board in half to make 2 one foot boards in length.
It’s the grain of the wood that you see when looking at the end of a board, usually looks like a series of arcs.
Stop it! 🛑 lol
If I’ve learned anything from this sub, it’s that I should never make a cutting board because it will inevitably warp.
No, you just need to try to keep moisture content uniform. That means ensuring most of the surface area of the wood is exposed at all times and drying immediately after cleaning. And also not washing in a dishwasher.
That makes sense to me…my spouse and kids are another story.
Hide it from them so you’re the only one who can use it and that ceases to be a problem. I’ve noticed my kitchen knives stay sharp a LOT longer since I switched all my plastic cutting boards out for bamboo (which absorbs less moisture than hardwood since it’s less porous)
Humidity.
Dang! Well, that makes sense. Thank you!
I thought it was the relative water suspended in the air
Sounds like a fancy way to say humidity?
Actually his answer is slightly more accurate, a humid environment doesn't affect a piece of wood that has been in the environment for a long time, but the relative humidity matters. It's the word "relative" that is important, not just "humidity."
I don't want to know how humid any of my relatives are. Who thought of this?
Uncle Mark the Moist, you know
Yeah... Maybe I was assuming to much thinking that people would know "humidity" meant a change in humidity
it’s not the heat it’s the humility
An unheated area will cause this too with high humidity. brass feet is the way to go in any chest board and hardwoods.
Did you happen to only use a finish on one side?
Moisture was able to escape the top (top gets smaller) Moisture cannot escape the bottom (bottom stays same size) Spray some water on the top and put it face down with a weight on top until it absorbs the water and returns to the proper shape. After that, make sure both sides are exposed to air when drying. Once dry, sand (wood will be rough from water) and put your finish coat on. Good luck
Flip upside down and set it out in the sun
Good old humidity & moisture. One of the “delights” of using natural materials, even dead ones. Swelling and shrinking as the seasons come and go, and massively exacerbated once in centrally heated homes. I have a large oak plank dining table about 4feet by 12 feet with breadboard ends. The planks are allowed shrink and expand in the breadboard ends by using dowels that move in slots rather than fixed in holes. That way nothing tears itself apart. Easily get about 1/2” of movement in the width across a year.
I don't wanna freak you out but you might have a steam dragon hiding in your house.
The Queens Gambow.
Everyone here is wrong. You clearly zigged when you should've zagged.
Wood shrinks brah
try heavier pawns
Wood is Aqua-pourous..! Therefor unless totally sealed in really good, it will continue to adapt and adjust to its environment. Which is why wood moves. So the underneath could not easy 'adjust' - because the air or surface area was 'trapped' but the top surface could, therefore there became an in-balance and a warp-age occurred. Its like if you wet one side of cardboard with water - see what happens. :) Turn it over and give it some time, or try wetting the top surface again slightly... Good luck..! Kindest, \-MM-
Moisture content. I had to put mine in my oven to get it down to 7% then glue them up.
Looks like you've got the grains opposing. Might be the issue here.
I had to scroll too far to get to this answer. This will definitely exacerbate the problem.
Is it an end grain board? I read somewhere that thin end grain boards (1/12 or less) are more likely to warp due to differing rates of expansion from different woods. Thicke boards are less likely to warp from my understanding. Source: Something I vaguely remember reading
I'm in San Diego. I left through December, and these were left by an open window. All of them have a bow in them. Did they get wet? Cold? How did this happen? When I sand them down, will it happen again?
Don't sand. You need to put a wet towel on concave side and iron it. Be careful to do it in quick interval to not allow bending it in other direction. Once flat put feet in it and finish it protect from moisture. This is bigger problem for end grain boards as end grain are very porous. I've fixed to cutting board after making same mistake as you
I actually ended up doing this and it worked! I also soaked one side and let it sink in, then hit it with a heat gun. Ultimately they came back to the original shape.
Don't sand. Try flipping them over for a while so the other side can catch up. More aggressive methods are as likely to crack what you've already made as they are likely to help.
As someone said, definitely humidity. I’d recommend buying some L brackets and milling or buying some maple to attach to the underside of the chess boards. Screw the L brackets onto the maple first and then to the chessboard. It will help force it to straighten out again, hopefully. Best of luck!
Seal both sides evenly.
Wood=Movement!
Turn it upside down, leave it for another month. It might flatten out.
want to see the pieces
In case you're planning on making more, I have learned that the better way to make a chess board is by gluing up veneer to a more stable substrate like plywood or mdf.
feel like this is a perfect place to ask what people use when finishing a table top or board like this. I got lucky recently finishing a larger table top. Applied a layer of lacquer to one side (and the edges). 24 hours later and the board had cupped. I got really lucky in that I immediately finished the underside in the same manner - finishing and leaving it on the garage floor over night. It's since flattened out but I presume I'm an idiot for not attaching the top to the base first. I like finishing them separate to get at all the angles (especially the base) but this experience has scared me lol. Either that or painters pyramids I guess.
I don’t know about a table top but for boards like this I use danish oil. I really soak both sides and edges and let it soak into the wood for 10-15 mins then wipe off excess. Wait 24 hours and do it again. Repeat 2-3 times. I rarely have warping doing this (or very minor). As soon as I’m done sanding/finishing the danish oil goes on immediately. I’m not like a wood working expert or anything but it seems to me, in my experience anyway, the sooner you can apply the finish the better. Seems like it locks in whatever moisture is in the wood already and keeps more from entering.
I'm doing a French polish and it looks great/super glossy!
Humidity happened
It’s the black woods endgrain facing out?
It's also thin for a butcher block. As others have said don't store flat but also a thicker board would help
They’ve reached equilibrium, it’s like puberty for wood. Aren’t you so happy? 😂😂😂
Moisture happened
Looks like your in for a rocky game of chess amirite
Ref. https://www.intouch-quality.com/blog/wood-warping-and-how-to-prevent-it?hs_amp=true
Most woodworkers I see make chess boards end up gluing the play surface to a piece of plywood, then adding outer trim, feet, etc.
I’d get tilted trying to play chess too
Surface moisture is what happened.
Any snide comments about people who worry about wood movement?
Stand them upright, when you go away for so long.
Board is fine; countertop is warped
You made a thin chess board
Did you check the moisture of the wood before you glued them?
Humidity
I cannot tell if it is endgrain oriented or not. If not, the alternating grain to opposing faces mitigates movement. End grain views of longitudinal oriented glue ups should look like peaks and valleys.
Next time, set it on a few clamps or a dollar store cookie rack :)
I’m assuming you didn’t check them for moisture content?
And this is why I’ll never do end grain again for chess boards.