Shoutout to the guy who told me to always seal the underside of a tabletop

I skipped that step on a big walnut slab last year, and the whole thing warped like a potato chip after the first humid week. He said it stops moisture from moving through the wood unevenly. Do you guys seal the hidden parts on every piece, or just when you think it's needed?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_torres1mo ago

My oak desk warped last summer and taught me that lesson.

masonm701mo ago

My uncle's 1920s oak drafting table did the same thing in his Florida garage. Did you try any of those fixes with wet towels and weights, or was it too far gone to save? I've heard mixed results but some people swear by that method if you catch it early enough.

wilson.kelly1mo ago

Oh man, that's the worst. My buddy had this beautiful old table he refinished himself, left it near a window for one sunny week... totally buckled in the middle. He was crushed. It's crazy how fast it can happen, @joseph_torres. Makes you really respect what humidity and heat can do. He ended up having to take the whole thing apart to try and fix it. Just a total pain.