How to Fix a Warped Cedar Wood Lid

You can fix a warped lid on your cedar chest.

The most common cause of warping with manufactured doors or lids is a variation in the moisture of the wood. Often one side will be finished and the other side will not. This causes a different rate of expansion and contraction of the wood and it may cause the wood to twist or warp. This condition is made worse in environments where the wood is exposed to moisture on the unfinished side. Sometimes the warp can be repaired, but the repair will often require a refinishing of both sides of the wood.

Things You'll Need

• Screw driver
• 2-inch by 4-inch boards
• Wood clamps

Instructions

1. Remove the cedar lid from the chest. Remove any fabric covering over the wood. Note whether the chest has been sitting in a sunny or a moist location. The wood can warp from being dried unevenly in either condition.

2. Place 2-by-4-inch blocks on your work table. Position the lid over the blocks so that you can bend the sides or ends of the lid down and clamp them with wood clamps to hold the wood under pressure in the direction you want it to straighten.

3. Remove the clamps after several days and check to see if the wood is responding the way you want. Make adjustments to your clamps to increase or decrease pressure until the wood flattens out.

Tips & Warnings

• If you add moisture to make bending the wood faster, you will probably ruin the finish on the outside of the lid. Consider sanding both sides before you start and, after the lid straightens, finishing both sides of the lid so that moisture cannot penetrate so easily. Move the furniture to a location out of direct sunlight or moisture where the temperature is kept moderate.

References

• Fix My Cabinet: How to Fix Warped Cabinet Doors
• Wood Web: Troubleshooting a Cupped Table Top