Post by olhillbilly on Apr 2, 2008 0:00:33 GMT -6
Warp Be Gone: The Straight Dope for Twisted Wood
By Norm Doubloon
“The original idea for Warp Be Gone,” explained Gustav Wynde, the product’s inventor, “came to me while I was using Pentacryl. That’s the stuff that you put on green wood to prevent it from cracking as it dries. It works far better than the PEG I used to use, and that made me realize there was potential for another great product. After all, if you can prevent wood from cracking while it dries, why can’t you prevent drying wood from warping, twisting or cupping? Better yet, why can’t you flatten already warped wood?
“I have a background in chemistry, so I really was the ideal person to develop this. In college, I majored in botany with a minor in organic chemistry. My first job out of school was working as a research chemist at a large company in Ohio that specializes in lawn care products, weed killers and plant growth promoters. After seven years there, I took a job with Weyerhaeuser, the logging and wood products giant, and moved to Washington’s Olympic peninsula in the Pacific Northwest.
“While they had already developed ways to speed up tree growth, which in turn increased wood yield per acre, my job was different. I was part of a team trying to develop chemicals to make trees grow straighter, since that, too, increased the usable wood per tree. Warp Be Gone was an outgrowth of what I learned during that research. Unfortunately, after only four years with Weyerhaeuser, I was laid off during a market fluctuation.
“I had long done woodworking as a hobby, so to make up for lost income, I bought a Woodmizer. With it, I’d go on-site to people’s property and turn downed trees into usable lumber. Naturally, I did the same for myself, seeing it as a cheap way to get decent quantities of wood. When you cut wood for others, the job is over as soon as the wood is stacked, so you never know how things worked out. However, while drying my own wood, I was distressed to discover how much wood I lost to warping, cupping and bowing.
“I set up a small lab in my basement and went to work. Within two years, I had come up with my first product, DryRight. By soaking green boards in it, you were assured of having them dry straight and true. The problem was that most people don't get wood green. In fact, most people go out of their way to buy kiln dried wood. I realized there was a larger audience for a product that straightened already warped boards. I started reading up on the chemistry of hair care products used to straighten curly hair, and before long, developed Warp Be Gone.
“As with DryRight, you pretty much have to soak the board with it, but that is not as difficult as it sounds. I usually take several boards, soak them well on all sides and ends, then wrap the bundle tightly in plastic sheeting to keep them wet. Sheeting is very inexpensive and comes in rolls of 10-foot wide plastic, quadruple folded to fit on a manageable roll, in 100- and 200-foot lengths. Once I have the bundle wrapped, I tape the seams and ends with duck tape.
“For one-inch lumber, it takes about five to seven days of soaking, which leaves the wood somewhat pliable. Thicker boards take longer. I have a chart on my web site that shows the soaking time needed for various thicknesses and species of wood. After a week, remove the wood, sticker and stack it with a modest amount of weight on top and a flat surface beneath. That way it will stay straight as it dries. The residual liquid evaporates fairly quickly depending on heat, humidity and ventilation.
“The material itself is waterbased and not particularly harmful, though I do suggest wearing gloves and making sure you don’t get it in your eyes or mouth. It’s also a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly after handling it. Initially, I figured the market for this would be large wood processors and sellers like home centers, and perhaps some large furniture manufacturers, but I’ve found that many of my customers are small shop and hobby woodworkers just like myself.
“The important thing for me was saving wood. Not only is it environmentally correct to avoid wasting any resource, but it also helps your bottom line to be able to use all the wood you buy. Many customers, though, have told me what really mattered to them was being able to save and eventually use a particularly beautiful piece of lumber that would otherwise have ended up as firewood.
“One customer called to tell me he was able to use a stunning, highly figured piece of crotch walnut that had warped into a potato chip shape during drying. He was so grateful, you could hear in his voice that he was barely choking back tears of joy. That, more than anything else, is the real reward for developing this.”
By Norm Doubloon
“The original idea for Warp Be Gone,” explained Gustav Wynde, the product’s inventor, “came to me while I was using Pentacryl. That’s the stuff that you put on green wood to prevent it from cracking as it dries. It works far better than the PEG I used to use, and that made me realize there was potential for another great product. After all, if you can prevent wood from cracking while it dries, why can’t you prevent drying wood from warping, twisting or cupping? Better yet, why can’t you flatten already warped wood?
“I have a background in chemistry, so I really was the ideal person to develop this. In college, I majored in botany with a minor in organic chemistry. My first job out of school was working as a research chemist at a large company in Ohio that specializes in lawn care products, weed killers and plant growth promoters. After seven years there, I took a job with Weyerhaeuser, the logging and wood products giant, and moved to Washington’s Olympic peninsula in the Pacific Northwest.
“While they had already developed ways to speed up tree growth, which in turn increased wood yield per acre, my job was different. I was part of a team trying to develop chemicals to make trees grow straighter, since that, too, increased the usable wood per tree. Warp Be Gone was an outgrowth of what I learned during that research. Unfortunately, after only four years with Weyerhaeuser, I was laid off during a market fluctuation.
“I had long done woodworking as a hobby, so to make up for lost income, I bought a Woodmizer. With it, I’d go on-site to people’s property and turn downed trees into usable lumber. Naturally, I did the same for myself, seeing it as a cheap way to get decent quantities of wood. When you cut wood for others, the job is over as soon as the wood is stacked, so you never know how things worked out. However, while drying my own wood, I was distressed to discover how much wood I lost to warping, cupping and bowing.
“I set up a small lab in my basement and went to work. Within two years, I had come up with my first product, DryRight. By soaking green boards in it, you were assured of having them dry straight and true. The problem was that most people don't get wood green. In fact, most people go out of their way to buy kiln dried wood. I realized there was a larger audience for a product that straightened already warped boards. I started reading up on the chemistry of hair care products used to straighten curly hair, and before long, developed Warp Be Gone.
“As with DryRight, you pretty much have to soak the board with it, but that is not as difficult as it sounds. I usually take several boards, soak them well on all sides and ends, then wrap the bundle tightly in plastic sheeting to keep them wet. Sheeting is very inexpensive and comes in rolls of 10-foot wide plastic, quadruple folded to fit on a manageable roll, in 100- and 200-foot lengths. Once I have the bundle wrapped, I tape the seams and ends with duck tape.
“For one-inch lumber, it takes about five to seven days of soaking, which leaves the wood somewhat pliable. Thicker boards take longer. I have a chart on my web site that shows the soaking time needed for various thicknesses and species of wood. After a week, remove the wood, sticker and stack it with a modest amount of weight on top and a flat surface beneath. That way it will stay straight as it dries. The residual liquid evaporates fairly quickly depending on heat, humidity and ventilation.
“The material itself is waterbased and not particularly harmful, though I do suggest wearing gloves and making sure you don’t get it in your eyes or mouth. It’s also a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly after handling it. Initially, I figured the market for this would be large wood processors and sellers like home centers, and perhaps some large furniture manufacturers, but I’ve found that many of my customers are small shop and hobby woodworkers just like myself.
“The important thing for me was saving wood. Not only is it environmentally correct to avoid wasting any resource, but it also helps your bottom line to be able to use all the wood you buy. Many customers, though, have told me what really mattered to them was being able to save and eventually use a particularly beautiful piece of lumber that would otherwise have ended up as firewood.
“One customer called to tell me he was able to use a stunning, highly figured piece of crotch walnut that had warped into a potato chip shape during drying. He was so grateful, you could hear in his voice that he was barely choking back tears of joy. That, more than anything else, is the real reward for developing this.”