Discovered a trick for flattening warped boards with a damp cloth and a brick

Last weekend I tried wetting the concave side of a warped book board and setting a brick on it for 24 hours, and it actually flattened out perfectly. Has anyone else used this method for stubborn warps or do you have a better way?

2 comments

2 Comments

sullivan.elliot3d ago

You say it flattened perfectly but I gotta call that one into question. Did you wait a few days after taking the brick off? I tried that damp cloth and brick trick on a board last summer and it looked good for about 48 hours then curled right back worse than before. The moisture just makes the fibers swell temporarily, it doesn't actually reset the grain or anything permanent like that. If you're working with something old or valuable you're better off with weights and dry heat over a longer stretch. That brick method feels like a quick fix that can snap the board if the warp is real stubborn.

noah_palmer423d ago

Wait wait, you're telling me you actually tried the damp cloth brick trick and it worked for two days then curled back WORSE? That's insane. I almost tried that on an old desk top last month, glad I didn't now.