Used to reclaim the lumber in old bank barns and old log cabins. It was very common to see wide boarding that would be up to 36 to 40 inches wide . Sometimes we would have boards that didn't make it in the bunks and banded an left out in the weather. And in the summer months (Ohio weather)the wood would get wet and the sun would come out and dry it out. Two to three days in the hot sun a 36" wide board what cup like a u. Flip the board over wait for the next rain storm in a couple sunny days an the board would flattened back out. If you didn't get it when it was flat or almost flat and put it back in the stack it would continue to cup the other direction and look like a u . See a board cup like that as a practical joke all summer long , it was flipped probably 25 times 1"×30"×60" antique white oak the board never check cracked . Mother nature a funny thing
I always watch your videos Mat because you reflex a true reverence for the God-made material that you and I both love. I'm 82 now and don't get into my shop much anymore, but I'm with you in spirit. Hat's off to you! -Curt❤❤
Good morning 🌅, very nice job, at least now they can be used for something, the table that had large turned and carved on them , I have something very similar, mine has vines and grapes 🍇 carved into them, over 200 years old, I am hoping to make a table with them, Keep up the great work,
One thing that probably helped save these the most is all the separation in each slab. If it were a solid slab it would probably spring back more in the following months after the weight was removed and it dried again.
Hopefully once you work on the rest of the slabs from the twisted pile you won't have to deal with this issue again. If you do at least you have an idea of what to expect going through the steam process. Stay safe and healthy.
This is very cool. Need to figure out how to make a giant vacuum press. It has the advantage of using atmospheric pressure for clamping, and the water will “boil off” inside the vacuum, lowering the moisture content of the slab. If you can add heating coils underneath as it’s under vacuum, that will help as well. I’d look at the heating coils they use for heated bathroom floors. Great project, sir. I hope to meet you in person someday. I have tens of thousands of board feet of stuff I cut up 30 years ago sitting in a friend’s barn. I should go look and see how it’s doing.
Great experiment! The steam box reminded me of a time in college when I started a restaurant job and on my first day, the chef asked me to go get a bucket of steam. After confusedly searching around for a few minutes, I eventually realized that this did not exist and it was just a joke they play on unassuming new hires 🤦♂️
Sad about the Ash. We're on 8.5 acres and 15 of our trees were Ash. Sadly we now have a ton of firewood. On a better note, we have about a dozen baby ash trees growing. Time will tell. Great video Matt. I learned a lot. 😊
I was wondering about the stickers leaving a mark as well, but if you put the slabs flat on the floor with a solid top press, probably the drying would be negatively affected? I guess you just have to work out a compromise. Thanks for the video. Very interesting. Take care.
1. What office is Lindsey running for? 2. Of course Wink has a Rivian. A man that loves nature doing his little part. 3. The lesson: "a stack in time, does save nine". Stack it right the first time. 4. The last time I saw such a short hairy man like Matt, I was on the Forest Moon of Endor. 5. Great vid. Loved the custom slab sauna. And it worked! I never doubted you for a minute. 😬
When I steam wood for chair parts (admittedly much, much smaller) I know the condensation will settle in the bottom of the box so I tilt the box end to end to make sure it runs out the weep hole. Additionally the chair parts are suspended in the box so they are not sitting in the water that has condensed but not yet exited the box as well as providing steam access to the entire chair part. If I saw correctly you have the slab sitting directly on the bottom of the box where the condensed water will collect. Given the water is not as hot as the steam (212 degrees F vs a much lesser temp as the steam changes to water and settles in the bottom of the box) your slab will not receive steam evenly. Stickers under the lower slab would address this issue. I could be all wrong but those are my thoughts.
Bought a home sauna kit and PVC downpipe just to trial - learnt PVC goes squishy around 194°F or 90°C. Used wire mesh to give me a platform to support timber & hold the form of the tube. Must get back to that project 😀
Flattening a slab with steam and a forklift…. Epic! Another first by Cremona. I loved that walnut in elm river too. Mind blowing and unique. It makes “good wood” almost look boring
My only pucker moment was when Wink was standing in-between the forklift and the wall when you were positioning it on top of the stack! 😱 But, this experience falls into how everything is part of the 99% prep to get the results you want!
Now that you have all that room in the barn you need to get on of those really big Vacuum Dryer systems. You could dry out these slabs pretty quick then.
Great video and ideas! Where do you get your levelers that you put on top of cinder blocks to make sure you slabs are on a level surface? We constantly have issues getting a level surface for our slabs.
4:56 I wonder if the wood grain on the outside of these slabs has anything to do with the warp.. Good lord these things are closer to cookies than slabs!
I remember the video of the guys from Mississippi. People here (in MS) don't have any idea what cold weather is (I grew up in Indiana). Just think if you hadn't made a boo boo in the first place you wouldn't have had content for this video - LOL. Stay safe.
In the Land of Content Creation each piece of broken equipment or error etc. is welcomed for more content and more income. If only it were the same way in real life!
Steam will just relax the fibres in the slab, a force will be required to bend them flat though, I don't know if their own mass will be enough. This is written before the unit was turned on. I didn't realise they were going to bend them after they were steamed, I thought they were relying on the mass of the slabs.
I saw another channel straightening boards without the steam. Soaked, clamped/ fixed straight then allowed to dry. Seemed to work. Sorry can't remember the channel.
looks as though your stickers are several feet apart on other stacks. they should be a foot apart otherwise your just asking for more trouble. but a good method for saving warped wood.
Cut up the twisted/cupped slabs. They are firewood. It is not worth the risk of putting in countless manhours making table tops out of them only to end up having them twist and cup again by the time you are done.
You can't force it... It will just spring back once the C channel is removed. You need the steam to relax the wood fibers so it can move into a new position to dry in.
I wasn’t sure how much luck you’d have with changing the mind of a piece that had already made up its mind. But you pulled it off so kudos for that. I hope Wink ends up sharing pictures of the end product because there will be dramatic shifts in the before, during and after sequence. I liked it. 🥸👍👀✅
"... When I have some free time...." 🤣🤣🤣 That staircase with the different species is a really cool idea.
Seeing Lindsay's election signs, i went to check if she won. Congrats to the new city councilwoman :)
I love winks idea of putting a wood insert instead of using epoxy. Im definitely going to give that a shot.
Really neat experiment, with good results. Nice to meet Wink; he had some interesting projects, too.
I’m so happy to see you and Wink working on this slab!!
That was quite the process but, the outcome was awesome!
Truly an adventure! Thanks for sharing!
Good Morning Cremona Family.
Very cool
and congrats to Lyndsay for winning her seat council At-large
That worked way better than I would have thought!
Used to reclaim the lumber in old bank barns and old log cabins. It was very common to see wide boarding that would be up to 36 to 40 inches wide . Sometimes we would have boards that didn't make it in the bunks and banded an left out in the weather. And in the summer months (Ohio weather)the wood would get wet and the sun would come out and dry it out. Two to three days in the hot sun a 36" wide board what cup like a u. Flip the board over wait for the next rain storm in a couple sunny days an the board would flattened back out. If you didn't get it when it was flat or almost flat and put it back in the stack it would continue to cup the other direction and look like a u . See a board cup like that as a practical joke all summer long , it was flipped probably 25 times 1"×30"×60" antique white oak the board never check cracked . Mother nature a funny thing
I always watch your videos Mat because you reflex a true reverence for the God-made material that you and I both love. I'm 82 now and don't get into my shop much anymore, but I'm with you in spirit. Hat's off to you! -Curt❤❤
Thanks!
Thanks Toby!
Good morning 🌅, very nice job, at least now they can be used for something, the table that had large turned and carved on them , I have something very similar, mine has vines and grapes 🍇 carved into them, over 200 years old, I am hoping to make a table with them,
Keep up the great work,
Excellent and informative vlog. Thanks
Great to meet the actual Wink and see his projects, but talk about hassle!
That was a humdinger of a problem. You all did a good job.
Happy working!
One thing that probably helped save these the most is all the separation in each slab. If it were a solid slab it would probably spring back more in the following months after the weight was removed and it dried again.
Hopefully once you work on the rest of the slabs from the twisted pile you won't have to deal with this issue again. If you do at least you have an idea of what to expect going through the steam process. Stay safe and healthy.
I learn something every day.
Thank you for sharing 👌 😊
Great video Matt.
This is very cool.
Need to figure out how to make a giant vacuum press. It has the advantage of using atmospheric pressure for clamping, and the water will “boil off” inside the vacuum, lowering the moisture content of the slab. If you can add heating coils underneath as it’s under vacuum, that will help as well. I’d look at the heating coils they use for heated bathroom floors.
Great project, sir. I hope to meet you in person someday. I have tens of thousands of board feet of stuff I cut up 30 years ago sitting in a friend’s barn. I should go look and see how it’s doing.
Great experiment! The steam box reminded me of a time in college when I started a restaurant job and on my first day, the chef asked me to go get a bucket of steam. After confusedly searching around for a few minutes, I eventually realized that this did not exist and it was just a joke they play on unassuming new hires 🤦♂️
I'm not sure what's more impressive, the flattening of the wood or using all 3 forklifts on the same project.
You just expanded the definition of going “Full Cremona”!!
Sad about the Ash. We're on 8.5 acres and 15 of our trees were Ash. Sadly we now have a ton of firewood. On a better note, we have about a dozen baby ash trees growing. Time will tell.
Great video Matt. I learned a lot. 😊
I was wondering about the stickers leaving a mark as well, but if you put the slabs flat on the floor with a solid top press, probably the drying would be negatively affected? I guess you just have to work out a compromise. Thanks for the video. Very interesting. Take care.
1. What office is Lindsey running for?
2. Of course Wink has a Rivian. A man that loves nature doing his little part.
3. The lesson: "a stack in time, does save nine". Stack it right the first time.
4. The last time I saw such a short hairy man like Matt, I was on the Forest Moon of Endor.
5. Great vid. Loved the custom slab sauna. And it worked! I never doubted you for a minute. 😬
When I steam wood for chair parts (admittedly much, much smaller) I know the condensation will settle in the bottom of the box so I tilt the box end to end to make sure it runs out the weep hole. Additionally the chair parts are suspended in the box so they are not sitting in the water that has condensed but not yet exited the box as well as providing steam access to the entire chair part. If I saw correctly you have the slab sitting directly on the bottom of the box where the condensed water will collect. Given the water is not as hot as the steam (212 degrees F vs a much lesser temp as the steam changes to water and settles in the bottom of the box) your slab will not receive steam evenly. Stickers under the lower slab would address this issue. I could be all wrong but those are my thoughts.
Bottom slab is sitting on blocks otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get my forks out.
@@mcremona
Yes, I wasn’t able to see that until you were removing the slabs from the box.
Thanks
Love it so much keep it up as always 💘
Cool! I just need to buy a telehandler and a forklift and I’ll be all set! 😂
Great adventure. Love to see if Wink could put a link of a picture of finished project for that slab.
Bought a home sauna kit and PVC downpipe just to trial - learnt PVC goes squishy around 194°F or 90°C. Used wire mesh to give me a platform to support timber & hold the form of the tube. Must get back to that project 😀
Wow just amazing is see what your up to 😎 Always puts a smile on my face. Appreciated
Wink took that load to Massachusetts?? Wow, that Rivian looked like it was about to pop a “wheely”!
Even further. Back home to Sacramento
looks promising, I have some really nice 8/4 Walnut that needs to be de warped. Now I have confidence.
Thanks for another great video
The Rivian seems highly out of place for this correcting operation. :)
Flattening a slab with steam and a forklift…. Epic! Another first by Cremona. I loved that walnut in elm river too. Mind blowing and unique. It makes “good wood” almost look boring
That is a great video.
My only pucker moment was when Wink was standing in-between the forklift and the wall when you were positioning it on top of the stack! 😱
But, this experience falls into how everything is part of the 99% prep to get the results you want!
A new learning experience...❤❤❤❤❤
Now that you have all that room in the barn you need to get on of those really big Vacuum Dryer systems. You could dry out these slabs pretty quick then.
Yes, congratulations to Lindsay, and I greatly appreciate her willingness to serve local government.
Very cool if it works.
Great video and ideas! Where do you get your levelers that you put on top of cinder blocks to make sure you slabs are on a level surface? We constantly have issues getting a level surface for our slabs.
nice to have lovely flat fire wood 😂
Slabs that are good for being a river table or pen blanks
Excellent ❤❤
Wouldn't it be steam unbending?
"It is my will that this slab gets unbendy."
4:56 I wonder if the wood grain on the outside of these slabs has anything to do with the warp..
Good lord these things are closer to cookies than slabs!
Relaxing in my Man Cave in a comfy armchair with a glass of cold wine in reach is a great way to enjoy watching three gents working like that!
Semangat sukses selalu 🎉❤
Wink drove all the way to Boston with that on his truck bed?
To Sacramento
Matt Rockler in Minnetonka? Got my drum sander there.
Maplewood store is closer to me now
I guess I don't have any imagination, those slabs look like fire wood to me.
I remember the video of the guys from Mississippi. People here (in MS) don't have any idea what cold weather is (I grew up in Indiana). Just think if you hadn't made a boo boo in the first place you wouldn't have had content for this video - LOL. Stay safe.
In the Land of Content Creation each piece of broken equipment or error etc. is welcomed for more content and more income. If only it were the same way in real life!
Aren't the slabs going to follow the sagging from non-rigid supports?
Matthew, Congatulations on your successful experiment of “re-flattening” with steam punk…haha
Steam will just relax the fibres in the slab, a force will be required to bend them flat though, I don't know if their own mass will be enough.
This is written before the unit was turned on.
I didn't realise they were going to bend them after they were steamed, I thought they were relying on the mass of the slabs.
Let us know if it keeps its shape
Would you ever build or install a kiln of your own??
I saw another channel straightening boards without the steam.
Soaked, clamped/ fixed straight then allowed to dry. Seemed to work. Sorry can't remember the channel.
Wild & Crazy Guy
That’s me 🎉🥳
Super famous now
Plans!?! 😂😂
0:02 Could have winked.
looks as though your stickers are several feet apart on other stacks. they should be a foot apart otherwise your just asking for more trouble. but a good method for saving warped wood.
lol imagine thinking you know how to store slabs better than Matt Cremona.
A hell of a lot of work, but nevertheless fascinating. I hope it pays off.
"When i have some free time..." Ha ha
Why is this not firewood? Seems like so much work for little output
👍👍👍👍👍
Could you have put plastic over it?
Wink should have brought a real truck.
As usual, trying to reclaim firewood.
That’s my thing 😄
Cut up the twisted/cupped slabs. They are firewood. It is not worth the risk of putting in countless manhours making table tops out of them only to end up having them twist and cup again by the time you are done.
"We may use wood with intelligence only if we understand wood." ~Frank Lloyd Wright
That is an impressive amount of work to flatten that firewood. Cool adventure though!
Saw the thumbnail and thought you were smoking steaks.
Good luck driving hundreds of miles with that much weight on a Rivian. He'll be able to go 100 miles on a charge.
I'd be interested in hearing from Wink what his average was!
Similar weight to having 3 additional passengers
I was thinking the same thing. No way would I make a long trip like that in an EV.
why not decide what is the bottom of the slabs and screw on some C channel to force the to be level
You can't force it... It will just spring back once the C channel is removed. You need the steam to relax the wood fibers so it can move into a new position to dry in.
Before: "let 'er rip, tater chip."
They still steam boards to make Wooden Boats...
👋🏼
ever had one like this......ruclips.net/video/0hyWEbhhwXs/видео.html
Non related to the content …. please finish the roledoor metal work ….. (hahaha)
I'm sure the trim will be on the barn before 2030! 🤣
Fir-st
He is the Bob Vila of making boards. 🪵
I wasn’t sure how much luck you’d have with changing the mind of a piece that had already made up its mind. But you pulled it off so kudos for that. I hope Wink ends up sharing pictures of the end product because there will be dramatic shifts in the before, during and after sequence. I liked it. 🥸👍👀✅