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Had a week where every single inset door fit perfect, then the next week nothing squared up.
Last month I had 5 kitchen jobs in a row where every door gap was spot on 1/16". Then this week I spent 3 days fighting warp on a set of shaker doors for a client in Portland. Anyone else get streaks like this where your shop humidity just ruins everything for a while?
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west.richard25d ago
Get a decent hygrometer and track the relative humidity in your shop every day. Ive got 3 years of logs on my phone and I can literally predict when my joinery is gonna go sideways just by looking at the numbers. When it swings more than 10% in a week I dont even bother trying to dial in tight gaps. Just rough cut everything and wait for it to stabilize. Also check your moisture meter readings on the lumber itself before you mill it. If its reading above 8% or below 6% you're asking for trouble with inset doors especially. Most of my disaster weeks were me skipping that step because I was in a hurry.
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linda_dixon4925d ago
Wood is basically a moody teenager, one week it behaves and the next it decides to twist itself into a pretzel for spite. Keep your shop dehumidifier running on high and maybe sacrifice a tape measure to the woodworking gods. Sounds like the Portland moisture came to visit your shop for a few days.
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angela_harris25d ago
Oh man, you nailed it with that moody teenager comparison! I had a walnut board last month that literally changed shape overnight after I jointed it flat. So here's what I'm wondering though - have you ever noticed if certain species are more dramatic about this than others? Like I swear my walnut acts way worse than oak or cherry when the humidity shifts. Curious if you've seen the same thing in your shop or if I just got unlucky with that particular piece.
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