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I bought a bunch of baltic birch ply for my jigs and molds and what have you - well - one day I was making some cuts outside on the deck on account of my limited shop space and had some more cuts in mind, but only after I had done some more prelimiary measuring and stuff, so I stashed the sheet of ply under the overhang of the deck -
Well, we have been in a torrential rainstorm for weeks on the left coast and I kept checking to make sure it wasnt getting rainon it, and it wasnt - but little did I know there was rain seeping along the deck and wicking up through the bottom of it. I didnt see this cause there was some gardening stuff stacked along the bottom of the sheet.
Now its got a slight warp in it....... I was planning on using it for molds and jigs but now im not sure I can use it for that now - what can I do with this stuff now? Are the tolerances so tight in say...... a bending form that I couldnt use ply with a slight and I mean slight warp in it? Will it tweak out after a while and put everything outta whack?
Or should I just go ahead and make some dust with it?
This stuff is expenseeeeeeeeeeeve!
Cheers
Charliewoodcharliewood39043.6584953704

Hey Charlie, sorry to hear about the ply. That stuff is very expensive. I was surprised when I bought just a little section of 'select' grade ply for my go-bar!

But if it's just one end that's warped I'm pretty sure you'll be able to use quite a good section of it. Although I imagine it was lying down on it's length. Is it bowed completely from end to end or is it just warped in a section?

You should be able to get 4 'forms' for a bender using less than a foot along the length...

Maybe you could cut up different sized pieces in the 'warped' section and sand them down nice and straight. Maybe glue on a bit of cork on there and have yourself a nice variety of sanding blocks/cauls as well. You can never have too much of those lying around...

Just a few thoughts...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

yeah theres a slight bow that runs the entire length of the sheet as it was lying on an angle against the wall, and I guess when the moisture wicked in it sagged slightly!
Thanks for the suggestions
Cheers
Charliewood

Maybe lean it the other way! Couldn't Hurt!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Charlie, no problem at all using it for bending forms and outside molds. Once you put screws in it for an outside mold, it will be all right and for the bending molds, both sides have to be apart from each other, let's say 6" for instance, you could always use threaded rods, nuts and bolts to keep them apart, just like here

Bending form



Outside mold



And as Al said, save the bits and strips for the rest.

Serge

Thanks for posting those pics Serge, nice work - Gold standard Bud!
Cheers
Charliewood

Hooray Im Koa!
I do love that wood, how nice
Cheers
Charliewood

Yep, me too... I'm thinking that I should at least buy a set of Koa... That's the WAS talking!

I did promise myself that once I reach 'Brazillian' status, I'll celebrate the event with a nice set of Brazillion!!!

Now, only 800 or so more posts!!!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I wish it was that easy getting a nice set!