Flattening a wooden potato chip question

Re: Flattening a wooden potato chip question

Clint Searl

Finish it as is and display it under a glass top that floats above. Make lemonade out of a lemon.

That is a good idea...

John in NM

One could either cut down til the get 3 flat coplanar spots and use little rubber pads at those spots for the glass, or make decorative standoffs that attach to the glass. I'm a sucker for drilling holes in glass for some reason - the first method is far easier

In Case You Forgot

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

A table only has to look like it's flat;

on one side

Re: In Case You Forgot

Yonak

Flatten the edges of the concave side the put nuts in the middle dish. ..Or cover with glass with some decoration in the middle, such as your childhood set of jacks or marbles or coins. ..Or put a lamp in the middle. ..Or do all at various times . . . ..Or fill with decorative epoxy or a contrasting wood.

As a famous person (Clint Searl) said : "When you've got a lemon, make lemonade.

Re: Flattening a wooden potato chip question

Dave Bair

If it wasn't kiln-dried, it should be relatively easy to manipulate. Maybe just rehydrate it by soaking in water for a week or so. If it straightens out, clamp it flat and re-dry. If not, go for the steam; you'll just have to build one heck of a steam box.

Re: Flattening a wooden potato chip question

walta

Do we really think it is possible force wood to be flat with weight, heat and moisture? If so how thick a piece can you impose your will upon?

Seems to me it turned in to a potato chip because it was thin enough to bend if it was thicker it would have cracked to relive the stresses. The parts of the wood farther from the pith have to shrink more than the wood closer to the pith this tension had to be relieved by the wood moving vertically as yours did or the wood has to crack.

Part if what I find interesting about wood is that that it is a living thing and every piece is different from the next.

Walta

How thick?

Dave Bair

He stated his pieces are 1" thick.

Re: Flattening a wooden potato chip question

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

One can't make a silk purse from a Sow's ear. (old farm saying for this kind of situation)

Re: Flattening a wooden potato chip question

Oskar

would it be possible to saw it up into pieces (like pizza slices or otherwise) that can be flattened, and then edge jointed back to a flat table top? this way you would loose minimal thickness, especially if you dont flatten the bottom.

And if it can´t be done, maybe cut up into knife handle blanks?