Furniture and Furnishings - Warped Wooden Office Desk Top

I recently recieved a wooden office desk. The desk is in perfect condition except for the table top. It is an all wooden top, independent of the desk. It is just placed on top of the desk and locks into place. However, it is rather warped, making it impossible to lock into place.

I wonder if there is a way to unwarp the top, if so how? I was thinking of placing rather large weights on the problem areas and was hoping that it would slowly bend it back into place. Other than that solution I would be lost :) If you know how to fix a warped table/desk top please reply.

Eikott:

You have the right idea, but it's a little more complicated than just weighting down the top.

Wood warps because of a variation in the moisture content. Typically, on a piece like you describe, one side was finish, and other side wasn't. This allowed moisture to penetrate the unfinished wood, which caused it to swell, and warp.

First, the top must be stripped down to bare wood - both sides, all the edges.

After the top has dried completely, place it on a smooth surface with the concave portion facing up. The top should rock back and forth.

Place wet rags in the center of the warped area, and even weights on each end of the top. The water will penetrate the wood and the weights will help bring the piece down to flat. This process make take several days, depending on the type of wood and the severity of the warp.

Once the warp has been removed, allow to dry with the weights still in place. Again, allow several days for this process.

After it has dried completely it should be sealed and finished on all edges and both sides to keep it from warping in the future.