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I received a pair of gift bobbins from a friend - although I think they were ok when I received them - or maybe not- one of them has since warped rather badly. If I send them to you would you be willing to:
1. see if you can straighten out and stabilize the warped one?
2. Identify the type of wood from which they are made?

Marni Harang

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I would be happy to see what I could do with them. I suspect that identifying the wood will be the easy part. Generally warpage happens when the wood used is from a branch of the tree or an area that was under tension while growing. If not properly dried, it will pick up those tendencies. The trick is to wet it down again and re-dry it while supporting it.

Kenn Van-Dieren

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Boy, that was quick. The bobbins arrived today. I love the packaging that it arrived in. I know you said that one had warped, but it is more like a pretzel!

I did some quick assesments with it and my first assumption is that the wood is lemonwood. Lemonwood is a fairly common wood in France and many bobbins are made from it. I will do some more research as the type of wood will dictate how the warpage can be removed.

While the wood is not branch wood ( the most common reason bobbins will warp), it does look like the blank came from a larger branch or portion of the trunk that had tension applied to it. If it was just below a large weighy branch, or the branch was fairly long, the weight of that branch will put pressure on it. One cannot tell that until an item is made and by removing the excess, the remainder springs back into the shape that it grew in.

I think that I can remove most of the curve, but it will never be completely straight. Also, if it is kept in a moist area for any length of time it could return. We will see what happens. I like a challange anyway.

Enjoy, Kenn

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