Problem with Cupping

[Gary Puckett]

This is the third time I have had this problem. It involves doors and now a top that in time ( about 8-10 weeks ) either cup or warp. The latest is a solid cherry top 19" wide X 56" long the grain is going in the long dim.

The doors are doors that are the ones over 36" long. I out source all my doors and the top through Walzcraft, now they do stand behind the product but it is starting to get a little nerve wracking.

Is this just the nature of the beast or is it Walzcraft? Any input would be thankful.

Gary

[Will Williamson]

The real question is how are you handling and finishing the wood work .Where are the doors stored and what is the relative humity in that ares ? Are you appling equal amounts of finish to all sides? And last but not least what is the relative humitity where the products are delivered. It is my quess that the product is gathering moisture while in your storage and handling and then drys out once delivered

[Gary Puckett]

Wil,

The top was in my shop the whole time, the bottom was stainned, sealed, and top coated along with the rest of the cabinet. What I am wondering is if I put 2 stiffeners under the top if that might straighten it out,
or make a new top with the grain running in the width direction ( don't really like the look doing it that way).


Gary

[DanEpps]

Did you glue up the top yourself Gary? If so, and now for the dumb question, did you alternate the growth rings on the wood?

How long was the wood in your shop before it was used? Same question for the doors...how long were they in your shop before you used them?

Have you checked the humidity in your shop? Does it fluctuate a lot? This sounds like a humidity issue, perhaps fluctuating humidity.

Depending on the amount of cupping on the top, you might be able to straighten it out but you will probably end up getting a callback on it later.

[Nick M Singer]

Hi Gary, I would not really recommend fixing stiffeners t othe underside of the top as that can lead to other problems. What we do to most of our timber tops is cut a series of parallel saw cuts in the length, 2/3 the thickness of the timber to the underside of the top every 25mm or 1" this will take the stress out and allow the top to flatten.

[Gary Puckett]

This top is not secured to the cabinet, it is secured to the TV lift and the whole top raises up when the TV is in the up position so you see the underside. I am not sure how that would look.
I was goig to put elongated screw holes in the stiffiners to allow the top to expand and contract with out causing it to split.

Gary

[Michael S Murray]

veeneer over mdf for with a solid edge if needed for edge detail, hate the thought of it, but it stays flat!
Keep your door sizes smaller or at least use 2 panels when you get much over 36"
Just my opinion of course....

[Rick Palechuk]

Ditto that Mike.