Blamed my table saw for warped panels until a buddy pointed out my lumber storage was all wrong

I had this job in a humid basement in Nashville where three cabinet doors came out twisted and I spent two days blaming my setup before I realized I was storing the plywood flat on the concrete floor instead of on edge, and now I check moisture content on every board before I even rip it - anyone else find out the hard way that their shop conditions were the real problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane_morgan13d agoTop Commenter

Read in Fine Woodworking that even kiln-dried lumber can reabsorb moisture in just a few hours if you leave it on a damp floor. I started using those plastic dunnage bars I got from a shipping yard and it made a huge difference. Still had to toss a few boards that got cupped when I ignored the advice for a week. Makes you wonder if half our tool problems are really just storage problems, right?

finley_smith14d ago

Yeah, concrete floor storage is practically a sponge for humidity. I learned that one the hard way with a stack of walnut I just left sitting on the garage slab. Now I treat lumber storage like a bad relationship - keep it off the ground and check its moisture content regularly before I commit.