Hey guys, I am new here and would like to thank you for the opportunity. I have been kicking around a cutting board project for about two years now, really a pizza peel made from re-claimed red oak at a pizza restruant I used to work for. Thinking I could give the first as a gift to the owner, and make more for them to sell...
I did an awesome job gluing up my boards making sure to alternate them as the piece is 19" wide X 20" long X 5/8" thick minus the handle. Anyways, the piece has been flat, I mean darn near perfectly flat for 2 years. After several unsuccesful attempts to steam and bend wood to fit into the circular dado's, which is another story, I finally got fed up and decided to just to fill it in with pourable epoxy. After looking at Mirror Coat I decided I didn't want to spend that much money for this plain sawn ordinary red oak peel, maybe for the quarter sawn white oak barn beam I would make in the future... after talking with my Dad, he sold me on trying Polyurathane. I got a half pint at my local hardware store for $9 . I brought my peel from the woodshop to my apartment, we are tight on space in the shop, I am at the shop only on weekends, and the dust free environment would be great, oddly my Fiancee didn't mind, after her constant rejections to my begging of a work bench in the spare bedroom, I keep telling her, "only hand tools, honey, I promise!". After a few hours of chiseling & scraping out the burn marks, and lots of vacuuming, I had something ready to pour. I set my peice up on the desk that I made from some of the same wood and the AWESOME quarter sawn barn beams.
I started pouring at 7PM, going slowly following my circles I was only able to get 2.5 of the 5 rings "filled" and I ran out about 7:45 or so. I spent the next hour spreading it out, and doing what I thought was re-leveling. I gave up, thinking I'll just scrape the excess off, get more tomorrow and continue. at 10:45 pm I checked on it, something was WAY WRONG! the poly was falling to the sides only, not the front or back, but the SIDES! I attempted once again to spread, but it only re-pooled to the edges.
After work the next day it looked like a half moon, I put it on the linoleum to see just how much, 5/8" difference from center to edge, this thing is only 19" wide! My question is: Why? Could the Poly have warped it downwards? I could understand upwards, but not down wards! Could there be that quick of a moisture difference from my parents garage humidity???? to my apartment ranging from 39-51%.

I would appreciate all feedback, Thanks.

Scott Davel

Sounds like you're trying to put down too much at one time. Is the peel flat still? Put a straight edge to it. Im not a finishing expert, but I doubt the poly would cause the piece to warp. Maybe RadioActive could add his two cents.

Jared

Thanks for the feedback, checked today and is still just as warped. Probably didn't help that I did not seal with anything.

I've never heard of a finish causing something to immediately warp. I'm having a hard time visualizing your issue to come up with any great ideas though. I'd say whatever issue you're having was present prior to adding any poly though.

I'm also not sure how thick you can safely go with polyurethane as well but that may be an additional concern.

a few photos will be most helpful!

I also have never heard of a piece warping so severely just from applied finish. Especially one that size.

Did you use some kind of dam around the piece and how deep was the pour?

Now an epoxy finish I could see causing some problems taking into account the piece not being acclimated. But I can only see that happening if it is not a premixed solution and for some reason the outer perimeter of the mix had more dryer in it then the center. That may cause warping, but sincerely Not as much as you got. Then again, never had issues like this one.

Am at a quandry here on this one. Some pics really would be nice as Renaldo said.

Sorry I can't help