Hey everyone! I have a few 2x4x8 boards that have some warps and bows, and I'm not sure how to approach jointing and planing them. My initial thought is that trying to square them as full lengths would waste a lot of material due to their curvatures. I'm wondering if I were to cut them into shorter sections, like 4 feet, would I be able to joint and plane these pieces more efficiently, losing less material? It seems like with shorter lengths, there would be less overall bend, meaning less material would need to be removed. I'm working on building a rectangular torsion box and while I doubt I can use these pieces for the length, could they work for the width? Any insights? Thanks!
3 Answers
Going for shorter lengths is a solid plan! Just one tip—if you’re worried about snipe from the planer, leave a few extra inches on the ends. You can always trim those off after planing!
You're right on point! Shortening those pieces will definitely help you reduce the amount of material you need to take off to make them straight. It's a great strategy to work around the warp!
Exactly! You’ve got the right idea. A shorter piece will usually require less removal of material to fix the bow or twist. Plus, you might find that the majority of each piece is actually straight, with just one bad section at the end. Check it out before you decide!
Totally! Just be mindful that your assumption works best if the warp isn’t evenly distributed across the length.