Hello everyone,
I've bought this solid oak table by Moller (model 24b in the current catalogue),
but had to judge it on poor photos. I had it transported to my home from quite far
away and at arrival the top appears to be warped: the middle is a big cm higher
than the sides.
Here and there the once tightly glued slats show some space, but that seems no
constructive problem: the top is still quite solid and unmovable.
I believe this was stored in a barn, which caused the deformation.
Before I let go my (limited) techniques on it, what would you think this is the best and most
economical/achievable way to get this straight?
Legs are in excellent condition.
Thanks for your insights, as I look forward placing this as our daily used table
in the kitchen!
This is not going to be easy.
You will need to decide how much damage you are willing to cause to the top to fix it.
You could start with a minimum of setting it out in the sun convex side up and see if that changes anything. It probably will not.
You could try removing any finish then wetting the convex side and then drying it. Possibly repeatedly. This might have an effect but it might not last. The risk is that you might create more cracks between the boards. (You can see an example of the risk on oak floors that have been water damaged: the water swells the wood fibers and they crush themselves against each other destroying cell walls, then when they dry, there are wider cracks between the boards and sometimes checking cracks in the body of the boards because the structure of the fiber has been destroyed and no longer takes up the space it used to).
The next options are more invasive, but they will fix the problem.
You could cut a number of slits down the length of the boards, perhaps 3/4 of the depth of the top, and short of the ends by 10 cm or so. Then wet the ends of the slits, so the wood softens and you can flatten the tabletop without splitting the edges. Clamp it flat and dry it. Then re-cut the slits just a bit wider and glue in strips of wood. Depending on the tools available, and the care taken this can be a very precise repair.
You could also re-make the table top from new oak.
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