Fixing a Warped Desktop

During a recent trip to the North Bennett Street School, I saw a desk made by a student in the 3-month furniture-making intensive. This piece was beautifully made and properly equipped with runners, kickers, and rails. But one detail was pointed out by my friend, Brian, who attends North Bennett Street's 2-year furniture making program: curfs in the underside of the desk.

In the picture above you can see the curfs cut at intervals in the desk top. We can't know for sure, but it is likely that the wood had warped after glue up, resulting in a rolling wave. The curfs were cut strategically to ease the pressures that had warped the wood and allow the desktop to lie flat and save the top from the scrap heap.