Woodworking questions (non-arcade related)

[AtomSmasher]

Thanks a lot for the help everyone, couldn't have done it without it.

[DrewKaree]

You're gonna wanna do something to the insides too.  Leaving them unfinished will cause you problems down the road.

[AtomSmasher]

You're gonna wanna do something to the insides too.  Leaving them unfinished will cause you problems down the road.

I was thinking about that too, would a couple coats of polyurethane be good to seal it?  It would be easy enough to put on.

[DrewKaree]

I'm also talking about the very real possibility that you'll end up with warping or checking of the wood due to the stuff drying on only one side, pulling the wood in one direction. 

I'd throw as many coats of poly on the backside as you did on the front.  You don't have to take all the steps you did for the frontside, so that'll save you some time.

[AtomSmasher]

I'm also talking about the very real possibility that you'll end up with warping or checking of the wood due to the stuff drying on only one side, pulling the wood in one direction. 

I'd throw as many coats of poly on the backside as you did on the front.  You don't have to take all the steps you did for the frontside, so that'll save you some time.

its already been over 24 hours since I put the poly on the front side, so if it was going to warp, it already would of.  I think the 2x4's being screwed and glued on probably helped keep it from warping.  I'll definately keep that in mind for my next project though.

[NightGod]

I'm pretty sure he means the wood itself drying out over time. As a general rule, wood continues to dry out more and more as time passes (I have this old wooden bed frame that I swear weighs like 2 pounds because it's so old all the water content is completely gone). By putting the same amount of poly on both sides, you ensure that one side doesn't dry out significantly faster than the other.