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Twisted and Warped Decking

M

MetalBender

Joined
Jun 22, 2023
Messages
34
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Location
Philadelphia Pa
Good Day Everyone,
i am in need of some help with a deck issue. i am currently building The King of the MISSISSIPPI i have run into an problem with third Deck where once complete the Pilot House will sit.
after several attempts to correct a badly twisted and warped deck which will be joined to another piece which will make the complete deck i have contacted Artesania Latina where i requested new decking halves and have received them and they are as warped as the original are i have soaked in hot water and laid weighted down till dry with no good results then i wet them again and ironed them still no good results i am lost. stuck and very frustrated
is there any way for me to achieve better results. Once this is applied to ship i see no way to have it look correct.
help in this matter will be greatly appreciated.
 
Corsair said:
If it's just a small or minor warp, you should be able to hold it down with glue. Maybe even glue it while it is wet
Click to expand...
i have a lot of flooring to install on parts i did not think of gluing them while wet only due to the fact of the flooring strips but i did think maybe a low grade double back tape in hopes that if i glue the flooring on while i force the parts to lay flat with tape maybe this will correct some if not all the problem but again i am unsure if this will work and maybe make it worst but now i have two sets i will try the glue on wet parts and see what the out come will be
thanks for opening my mind.
 
MetalBender said:
ok here are a few photos this is after my second attempt to flatten them

View attachment 413923View attachment 413924View attachment 413925

View attachment 413926View attachment 413927
Click to expand...
I have the same opinion like @Corsair
Due to the fact that it is plywood steeming and ironing will not help so much and the warp is not so extreme - with a good glue and intensive clamping / fixing the deck template will stay on the correct places.
I guess these parts will be additionally planked with some deck planking strips, or?
So if there are some areas, f.e. at the connectinion between two parts, you can easily sand these parts down to get a flat and equal surface as basis for the planking
Important will be only a good plan for the clamps and rubber bands to keep the deck parts down until the wood is dry - I would use here wood glue, so you have enough time to correct
 
Uwek said:
I have the same opinion like @Corsair
Due to the fact that it is plywood steeming and ironing will not help so much and the warp is not so extreme - with a good glue and intensive clamping / fixing the deck template will stay on the correct places.
I guess these parts will be additionally planked with some deck planking strips, or?
So if there are some areas, f.e. at the connectinion between two parts, you can easily sand these parts down to get a flat and equal surface as basis for the planking
Important will be only a good plan for the clamps and rubber bands to keep the deck parts down until the wood is dry - I would use here wood glue, so you have enough time to correct
Click to expand...
actually, my concern is that the heat and steam may cause the plywood to de-laminate !
 
Lo que suelo hacer en estos casos es empapar bien la pieza en agua y con dos madera lisa (con tratamiento para que no absorba el agua) y con un peso adecuado encima. A mi me da resultado pero requiere tiempo.

What I usually do in these cases is soak the piece well in water and with two smooth pieces of wood (treated so that it does not absorb water) and with an appropriate weight on top. It works for me but it takes time.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If the thickness of the deck can be doubled, maybe you could glue BOTH deck pieces together and flatten them with weights while the glue sets. Essentially you would be making your own plywood which should hold the flattened shape. But then again, the extra thickness may not be desirable.
I have done this in the past where I needed 1/4" thickness (flat) and just made two pieces of 1/8" and glued them flat together.
 
I have had similar issues with plywood deck and hull pieces. Many kits out of China use plywood template pieces as the first layer of decks and upper hull. Then planking is applied over the plywood template. In my experience I use CA gel and a solid clamping and the pieces lay and stay without issues. The hard part is getting these plywood templates aligned properly to glue up. If you feel you need a stronger glue go to PVA high tack quick dry or even contact cement. If you choose contact cement remember the dry fit needs to be exact so when you lay the part down in the contact cement it lays down perfectly. Personally, I have solid results with CA gel.
 
Steam does NOT work well with plywood. The very nature of its construction that gives it strength prevents steam from working well or at all. Each wood layer in plywood is glued to the next layer with glue. If you think about it when you start to steam with an iron on one surface, the glue prevents the steam getting to all of the other layers. So if you have 3 ply only the first layer(33%) of the piece is being affected by the steam.

I do think Corsair and Uwek may be right. Glue may hold it fast, looking at the warping in the photo. I would use the strongest PVA you can find. The most important thing about this approach, in my opinion is the ability to hold it firmly and flat to the ship while it dries. If this does not work, you may become more frustrated once you see the clean up you need to do.

As crazy as it sounds, I would go to a hobby store and find a piece of Basswood or Pine the thickness you need. Then take your warped part, hold down flat with some clamps on the new wood and use it as a template to trace a new part, cut and sand and your set. It may seem like a lot of work, but peace of mind is a comfort.
 
Hoss6262 said:
Steam does NOT work well with plywood. The very nature of its construction that gives it strength prevents steam from working well or at all. Each wood layer in plywood is glued to the next layer with glue. If you think about it when you start to steam with an iron on one surface, the glue prevents the steam getting to all of the other layers. So if you have 3 ply only the first layer(33%) of the piece is being affected by the steam.

I do think Corsair and Uwek may be right. Glue may hold it fast, looking at the warping in the photo. I would use the strongest PVA you can find. The most important thing about this approach, in my opinion is the ability to hold it firmly and flat to the ship while it dries. If this does not work, you may become more frustrated once you see the clean up you need to do.

As crazy as it sounds, I would go to a hobby store and find a piece of Basswood or Pine the thickness you need. Then take your warped part, hold down flat with some clamps on the new wood and use it as a template to trace a new part, cut and sand and your set. It may seem like a lot of work, but peace of mind is a comfort.
Click to expand...
Sound advice. The extra time and work may save you a lot of frustration and extra work making corrections in the end. Without seeing the whole problem in context, I can't venture to guess at a solution, but the above seems the best way to circumvent the warpage problem. How many times will you have to do the procedure to get it right once? To my mind the above suggestion gives you the best chance at success at one go.
Caveat: even a fresh sheet of wood is subject to warpage. Best to proceed as soon as possible after selecting what looks like a good flat sheet of wood and keep it pressed flat between two heavy flat surfaces until you are ready to use it. Even a fresh, perfectly flat,
sheet of birch modeler's ply, that you can personally select for its suitability, will work well as a substitute. That way you know you are starting out with the least amount of hassle. I assume you are going to lay deck planks over it once glued in place.
 
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