Warped 1/4" Plywood

[CDN_Maple]

I have some birch 1/4 plywood that warped slightly due to the heat in my shop. I was wanting to use it for paneling on cabinet doors. The cabinets will be painted white so I am using birch panel with 2" styles and rails (with a grove down the center to accept the panel). I cut the panel to size hoping the warp would be out of it and there is still a slight warp in one corner.

When I did the dry fit, I could tell that the warp in the panel forced the styles/rail to bend slightly. With the slight warp, the door will not be able to shut properly.

Now that I have given you the background....

Is there a way to get a slight warp out of a 1/4" panel? I have other paneling, I just don't want to be wasteful.

Thanks!

 

[froglips]

Is it bowed, cuped or twisted?

Sounds almost like its just one corner thats out.

Since the panel floats, you could try relieving the inside facing corner with a belt sander/plane to take out some of the extra warp.

You may be able to take the warp out over time with contraptions, but given its a painted panel, I'd not be tempted to explore those. I'd also worry that if its a bad bit of ply, the warp will return over time.

Jim

 

[Skymaster]

You could try to flatten it by wetting it real good, placing it on a flat surface and put weight on it till it dries. It may knot help but. :eusa_thin:eusa_thin The side which warped short, the "inside" of the warp usually is because it dried more than the up or top side, also lay it on some wet grass, inside down and see what happens

 

[jhreed]

What Jack said is what they do at plywood plants with bowed panels. They mist water on the inside bow, this makes it swell on that side straightening out the panel. The bow is most often caused by un-equal moisture. Follow Jack's lead. slightly moisten inside bow and let dry between flat cauls under pressure.
James

 

[Mike Davis]

I usually just lay it on the damp grass in full sunlight with the curl down. The sun dries and shrinks the wide side and the damp grass adds moisture to the short side.

Shouldn't take more than an hour, watch it close or it will flip the other way.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

You've gotten some good ideas for straightening the panels, so I won't chime in on that. But just thinking ahead, if you're going to use 1/4" panels and paint them in the future, you might consider 1/4" MDF. I wouldn't use it many other places, but I've found it's pretty good and stable for flat, painted panels. Just a thought.

Bill

 

[CDN_Maple]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. For the current project that I was working on, I ended up using a new piece of 1/4" ply. But I think that I will try to salvage the warped piece and see what happens to it. I appreciate all the help. ETN