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I was building a new bench and I was hoping that I would be able avoid any warping in the wood. Unfortunately, after everything was completed I have an overall twist in the bench. (Images below)

Is there any way to correct this without taking the bench apart?

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  • Hi, welcome to StackExchange. Did you try a search before posting your Q? SE asks that questioners show evidence of research effort. This would include searching here so as to avoid duplicate Questions, and we actually have a few questions on taking out twist/bend that might directly bear on your query.
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 15, 2023 at 6:51
  • But in general for a structure getting a substantial distortion out does require partially or completely taking the thing apart IF that's possible without wrecking the wood (glue joints can be very very strong). So how to proceed may depend on how many subassemblies this is made up from, and whether there's any glue in addition to fasteners or if it's glued with no screws or nails. If you only nailed and/or screwed the bench together it's relatively straightforward to take it apart, and I think you should be able to put it back together better (not perfect, but better than it is).
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 15, 2023 at 6:54
  • OP, did you figure it out for yourself or get a suitable answer elsewhere? We need to know if you have abandoned this Question, thanks.
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 20, 2023 at 7:00

3 Answers 3

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No, I think you must disassemble it. It looks screwed together, so it shouldn't take too long. Did you assemble it in the standing position? You probably introduced the twist while assembling it. The first thing I would do is find where the twist originates. Try partially disassembling it by removing the top from the base components, check that the top is flat, and then proceed further if needed. I would reassemble it with the top upside down, lying flat on the floor and place the base above checking each part is square itself and mounted correctly.

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  • It's entirely possible that this was assembled upside down, flat on the floor, but there's enough slope in the floor that it was duplicated in the bench. Now that the bench is right side up, that slope is doubled, but in the wrong direction, making this look even worse than it was before.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 16, 2023 at 18:49
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If it's held together with screws, you might be able to loosen the screws to the point that the bench is "moveable" to some degree, and encourage it to "settle into square" provided the wood is reasonably free of warps and twists.

But, it looks to me, as well as I can see from the pictures, that one or more of your long boards has a warp or twist in it. If that's the case you may have to remove or modify, shim, shave, or otherwise persuade that board a bit to get the rest of the bench squared up.

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  • I was thinking that one or more of the long boards could be part of the cause, or all of it, and if so a fix might be as simple as shifting that board to a new location (turning it face over might even do it). But how much this can be taken apart easily, or at all, is an open question until the OP comes back and tells us if they used glue, and if it's shot together with a nail gun........... or indeed if it is held together just with screws, as we're all hoping for :-)
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 17, 2023 at 7:42
  • To be honest, I don't really see any screw heads.
    – gnicko
    Commented Jan 17, 2023 at 15:02
  • Yes, the photos we've been provided are frustratingly both from the same angle that doesn't show surfaces where fasteners might be :-\
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 18, 2023 at 5:21
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To remove the twist without any disassembly:

  1. Cut a long wedge piece for the right hand side.
    • This piece will go from paper thin at the farthest point from the camera to whatever height is necessary to bring it level with the front left corner.
  2. Cut long wedge pieces for each of the "joists" running left-to-right in the picture.
    • These pieces will go from paper thin wherever that individual joist leaves the bottom of the level to whatever thickness is necessary to bring it to the height of the new level of the right hand side.
  3. Adjust the legs to all rest on the ground
    • Shorten the three legs (right hand side, closest to camera; both farthest from camera, or
    • Lengthen the leg on left nearest camera

Alternatively:

  1. Sister a new edge beam on the right hand side, making it level with the left hand side.
  2. Sister new joists across making the tops level with both the left and right hand sides.
  3. Adjust the legs as above.

NOTE

This is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, however it's possible. The "Alternative" method is actually what I'm going to be doing in my new addition to make a flat wall out of the original structure of my 130 year old house where the studs aren't quite as vertical as one may have hoped.

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