China Hutch

I'm building a china hutch for my mother.  I began the project last fall and completed most of the bottom piece including the carcass, 5 drawers and two doors.  The piece is made of 1/4" sawn sapele.  Drawer frames are 4/4 pine.  The top is joined to the sides with dovetails.  After breaking from the project all summer I was dissapointed to find that the sides of the case have bowed slightly, causing what was my best set of dovetails yet to look less than beautiful.  I may have caused the problem by gluing the drawer spacers to the case sides.  


Do you have any suggestions that may help me remedy this problem?

        
-Seth H.
Cove, OG 

Our Expert

Unfinished wood can warp dramatically when it is exposed to changes in relative humidity. The warp may occur over a period of weeks or just a couple of days. To prevent stock from warping here are the steps that I take:


1. I use wood that is in equilibrium with the environment in which it will be placed. In other words, I use dry wood. For  furniture and cabinets that will be used indoors in a controlled environment (forty percent relative humidity) seven percent moisture content is ideal. If the moisture content is too high the wood will release moisture and warp.

  

2. I mill the stock only when I'm ready to use it. For example, when making paneled doors I don't mill the panel until I've constructed the frame. Once I flatten the panel stock and plane it to thickness I immediately fit it into the door frame. The framework will help to keep the panel from warping.


3. I apply finish to the work as soon as possible. Finishes don't stop moisture exchange but they slow it down dramatically. And remember, it is important to apply finish to both sides. If one side is left unfinished it will absorb moisture at a faster rate and cause warping.


These are solid guidelines that I use when working with wood. However, sometimes things don't always go as planned. For example, years ago I was constructing a dining table for our kitchen. The figure in the wide tiger maple boards popped as I applied the finish. In my excitement I neglected the underside of the table top. That night the relative humidity changed dramatically as a storm passed through the area. When I entered the shop the next morning the top had severely cupped despite the large breadboard ends. To correct the problem I placed the top outdoors in direct sunlight with the unfinished convex side facing up. After about forty-five minutes in the bright sunlight the top had dried out and it was flat once again. I quickly sealed the surface with a couple of coats of finish. Years later it is still flat.


I suggest that you try a similar remedy by applying moisture to the concave side while applying heat to the convex side.

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