Would you rip it?

[Bergie]

Hi guys,

After an aborted project, I've had an 8/4 slab of birdseye maple stored in my basement for close to 10 years. It's around 12-inches wide and over 8-feet long. I've now decided to turn it into a small coffee table, with the slab cut in half and the two halves joined to form a top.

Here's the problem: the board has a significant warp that if flattened via my planer (with the board riding on a carrier sled) would take the thickness of the boards down over half an inch. (When placed on my tablesaw deck, with three corners making contact with the deck the fourth corner is off the deck at least a half an inch.)

That has me thinking... would I be better off ripping the two halves (on the bandsaw) and working with four boards instead of two? That is, would I lose less thickness in each board, and would it be easier to flatten, if each of that halves were ripped and I then flatten the four boards?

After all, the top was already going to consist of two boards, so what's the harm in four if the trade-off means the resulting top would be much thicker?

Any thoughts? 

What say you... rip 'em or no?

Thanks in advance,
Bergie

[srv52761]

Hi guys,

After an aborted project, I've had an 8/4 slab of birdseye maple stored in my basement for close to 10 years. It's around 12-inches wide and over 8-feet long. I've now decided to turn it into a small coffee table, with the slab cut in half and the two halves joined to form a top.

Here's the problem: the board has a significant warp .....   ... would I be better off ripping the two halves (on the bandsaw) and working with four boards instead of two? That is, would I lose less thickness in each board, and would it be easier to flatten, if each of that halves were ripped and I then flatten the four boards?

This is a oft used solution to that problem.  Glue line rip and you may not even notice. 

 Alternately I have sometimes laid out the boards to simulate a poor man's book matched . Instead of reassembling in the order of rips: r1,r2,r3,r4; I would do r1,r3,r4,r2..  Usually if I have a grain pattern among boards that would be pretty different anyway.

[Tapper]

Hi guys,

After an aborted project, I've had an 8/4 slab of birdseye maple stored in my basement for close to 10 years. It's around 12-inches wide and over 8-feet long. I've now decided to turn it into a small coffee table, with the slab cut in half and the two halves joined to form a top.

Here's the problem: the board has a significant warp that if flattened via my planer (with the board riding on a carrier sled) would take the thickness of the boards down over half an inch. (When placed on my tablesaw deck, with three corners making contact with the deck the fourth corner is off the deck at least a half an inch.)

That has me thinking... would I be better off ripping the two halves (on the bandsaw) and working with four boards instead of two? That is, would I lose less thickness in each board, and would it be easier to flatten, if each of that halves were ripped and I then flatten the four boards?

After all, the top was already going to consist of two boards, so what's the harm in four if the trade-off means the resulting top would be much thicker?

Any thoughts? 

What say you... rip 'em or no?

Thanks in advance,
Bergie

I have no experience doing what you describe with that type and size of wooden slab. Having said that, I've ripped much smaller stock many times due to serious warping, and glued up the pieces to good effect. I would not hesitate ripping this slab into quarters. Then I would see how it looked if I glued them back in order, i.e. to get the same effect as the original intact slab (finished birdseye maple can be stunning). 

If the dry fit doesn't suit your eye, you can always change the order before glueing up.

Good luck!

Doug

[Willyou]

Your idea to cut the slab into four pieces may, in the end, be the way to go. However, you should consider the following thoughts before doing it:
You say that you will lose 1/2" with 3 corners resting on a flat surface. If you wedge the slab so that only two corners are on the surface, you will average out your thickness loss to maybe 1/4". (I use small wood wedges held in place with hot melt glue to support the slab all along it's length where warps cause it to not lay flat. Otherwise, pressure from the planer feed rollers will cause it to flex)
If you do the flattening after cutting the slab into two 4' pieces your thickness loss will likely be less (again, wedge the pieces so that only two corners are on the flat surface).
If you can get by with flattening only the top side, you will minimize your thickness loss.

Hope this helps

[Roly]

I have no experience doing what you describe with that type and size of wooden slab. Having said that, I've ripped much smaller stock many times due to serious warping, and glued up the pieces to good effect. I would not hesitate ripping this slab into quarters. Then I would see how it looked if I glued them back in order, i.e. to get the same effect as the original intact slab (finished birdseye maple can be stunning). 

If the dry fit doesn't suit your eye, you can always change the order before glueing up.

Good luck!

Doug

Don't you have to either rip, or join the edges again after flattening ?  Seems like the edges would no longer be 90 degrees to the face unless you flip the sections over then the birds eye would not match..   Roly

[jteneyck]

Large slabs of solid birdseye maple always seems like such a waste of good wood to me.  I would cut it to the length of your coffee table, face joint one side flat, and then saw it into veneer.  I would saw off two or three sheets of veneer and bookmatch the best two.  Then glue them onto a piece of MDF or Baltic birch plywood, with plain maple veneer on the bottom.  Then use some of the rest of the slab to make a picture frame around the veneered panel.  You might still have enough left to make a base, or at least a veneered lower shelf.  

John

[ez-duzit]

Flatten the 2 pieces and live with the remaining thickness.

[cams2705]

Rip it first, if not in half, then into thirds if the loss in width is not an issue.

Then flatten to minimize thickness loss.

Finally, resaw in half to keep as close to the desired thickness.

I'd probably wait a day or two between these steps to see if there is any movement.

[Bergie]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I appreciate it.

[fishhh4]

Hope it helped....