On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 09:40:29 +0000, Mike Halmarack
wrote:

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 09:21:46 +0000, MM wrote:

I bought a flatpack chest of drawers from Ikea, but stupidly left it
in the packaging for two weeks while doing other jobs.

When I got round to assembling it, having assembled the carcass and
drawers, it was time to put the top panel in place. Unfortunately,
this has bowed quite significantly along the length. Whether this is
because I had stood the package on its side and not flat, I don't
know. But it's bowed and I'm not going to the palaver of putting
everything back in the box to return to Ikea.

So the question is, how can I flatten this bowed top panel, which is
solid pine with an 'antique' finish? I have actually already achieved
a fair bit of flattening in just 24 hours by laying the board, 'hump'
side upward, on the carpet and putting some weights on it. But isn't
steam used for bending plywood? Perhaps I could apply steam, then
replace the weights? Will the bowing disappear completely?

MM

Attempts at steaming or laying on of wet cloths can be a lot of work
to little effect. Would fitting the top help to flatten it?

No. I tried that. But the gap along the unfixed side between the plank
and the carcass is then about 1/4 inch. I could insert the screws
anyway and pull it down, I suppose, but the bow would still be quite
noticeable.

I quite fancy Harvey's hint about steaming, actually. Harvey: How did
you apply the steam and for how long? I do have a wallpaper stripper
which produces loads of steam.

MM