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Warp In Bookmatched Top


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Hi.

I've actually been PLAYING some of my guitars...but...I browse this forum & off I go again!! :o)

I have joined a bookmatched Victorian Blackwood top - reasonably well - but it has warped before I copuld finish surfacing it.

The high spot is right down the glue line extending about 3cm either side of the centre.

From conversation with the more experienced, the advice was to steam the piece & then clamp flat it for a week, maybe two, and to place a thin wafer of something under the 'pivot point' of the bend for a bit more purchase.

However on one point I'd like more input before trying this is...Do I 'steam' the whole top both sides or the side that is concave upwards or the side that is convex downwards that is the 'inside' of the 'u' or the outside (bottom) of the 'u'? My logic for what it's worth (LOL) tells me to put the steam into the 'short' side that is the concave upside (inside of the 'u')

TIA

RobSm

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Do not steam - it will weaken the glue joint and you'll very likely end up with 2 pieces again. How thick is it? Maybe you can just plane it flat...??

If its 3/8" thick or less, Set the piece so the edges are cupping upward (concave-up) and spritz or sponge some water onto the wood - don't soak it, but wet it thoroughly and evenly. Let it sit in the sun until it starts to move toward straight, then rest it on a flat surface with some weight on top - and leave it for a few weeks. Better yet is to stand it up 1/4" or so above the surface with some wood shims so the air can get around it - but make sure the shims are all the same thickness so you don't deform your top.

These shims are called "stickers" - and when you stack wood with them in between and weight the pile, it's called "stack & sticker" - its the only proper way to store wood that's on the thin side to prevent it from warping while it acclimatizes to your climate.

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