Straightening warped green treated 6x6 posts & knife plate

[Sedgehammer]

Have footings in for the lean-to posts. Have posts. I have kept them bound together to help reduce warping, but you know green treated. I plan on putting the warped sides to each other and wedge between them to straighten. 1 is as far as an 1" out in 16'. These will be 14' 6" when done

Is 1" too far to move? I will fasten a 2x12 with screws once in place to hold it plus leave wedge in place for a while

On the knife plate. I have 5"x14"×3/8" plates. I was planning on keeping the posts 2" of of the footing. The footing is above grade and will be covered with a few inches of milling once final grade is done. The outside will still be @ current grade

Do i need to keep the posts off of the ground? These are CCA treated posts. I know it's better if they are off the ground, but is it worth the trouble of making a 'bench' plate for them to sit on. Pics attached 



 

 

Here's a pic of the footing. The strap on edge was for the setting of the weld plate. That will be removed





Had 3 straps on, hadn't put before this pic. Some of these posts were warped already, but some we're still wet to the touch. I know these straps stretch, but don't have a metal strap binder any longer

[beenthere]

Are you intending the 3 straps to keep the 6x6 posts from warping while the exposed surfaces dry? 

[Jeff]

Do they have centered piths?

[Sedgehammer]

@beenthere 

They are just on till I start cutting them to fit and the knife plate

@Jeff 

Some are spot on, some offset, some there isn't one

The worst one is centered. I had to special order them, so no chance to choose.  The worst ones are center nearly spot on

[beenthere]

I've found that with any treated material, buy like 30% extra and stack/sticker for air drying. Sort and return the bad actors and hope the remaining will behave in-place. 
Not possible to "bend/force" a 6x6 back straight again.

[Sedgehammer]

@beenthere 

Special order, caint return. I bought 1 extra. I know I can straighten it, just wondering on any idea to do it better 

[beenthere]

Will be interested in knowing how you can straighten it and keep it straight.  

[Jeff]

I'll bet on Kent being right.
https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Kent-A-McDonald-2009800356

[moodnacreek]

Sawing squares and drying them without twist is a losing battle for me. I do have some luck with very soft w. pine or w. cedar. Anyhow the project may not need untwisted posts especially if nothing is attached to them. In that case you plane like with a hand or power hand held plane flats on the post ends top and bottom to make the post fit as if it was flat.

[Sedgehammer]

Didn't say I could keep it straight  ........ 🤣🤣

But i think I can with wedges and 2x12 gerts

[Sedgehammer]

@moodnacreek 

I've successfully twisted or untwisted 6x6x8 on my porch. Was twisted a full half turn. I made a 4 bolt bracket that bolted around it with a 10' handle. I twisted it into place and bolted it with 4, 1/2"x8" bolts thru the post and header. Can barely tell it was twisted. Wouldn't if I didn't tell you most likely

[beenthere]

Seeing that done would make a good great video.  

;D ;D

[Don P]

Old Ironsides... now that's cool.

[moodnacreek]

I suppose putting them in a pond for awhile  before clamping them would help.

[Sedgehammer]

I suppose putting them in a pond for awhile  before clamping them would help.

Yeah, that'd help, but then they'd be 4x heavier ...... 😱

I'll put the 4 best posts on each end. Secure them to each other with rough cut 2x12s in the middle and with an angled brace to a stake in the ground. Then I'll put the 2 worst bends towards each other on the remaining posts. I can either pound a wedge in between them or jack them apart and then put the wedge in. I'll screw a board over the offending areas, so I don't damage it. Once one is plumbish, I'll secure it with the rc 2x12s & 5 ,1/4" x 6" screws. Same as I did with the first 4
I'll not be moving much

[GAB]

I suppose putting them in a pond for awhile  before clamping them would help.

He did mention that they were: "These are CCA treated posts."
Not being familiar with CCA treatment will that pollute the pond water?
GAB

[chet]

CCA treated materials are permitted for marine use. I think it's most common uses are for pilings, bridge timbers, and docks. They actually have marine grade treated stuff, treated up to 2.5 for submerged salt water use.

[Don P]

Dat's what we were using when da mos unfortunate dockside motorized electrocution event occurred. That stuff is bad to the bone. It wouldn't hurt to rinse it to remove surface stuff. The chemical is supposed to be bound within the wood.

I found the air drill I bought to do the wet drilling with on the in laws seawall. I had brought it home and forgot about it. I found it a month or few ago and plugged it in, after salt water, tossed on a shelf for 30 years, it worked. Cool.

[GAB]

CCA treated materials are permitted for marine use. I think it's most common uses are for pilings, bridge timbers, and docks. They actually have marine grade treated stuff, treated up to 2.5 for submerged salt water use.

Thanks,
GAB

[Brad_bb]

Once twisted, you're not moving them back.  If you really need it square, then you have to order oversize, let dry enough to stabilize, and then joint and plane to size and square.

[hacknchop]

I don't know what I don't know, but I do know what I know and what I  can and can't do with a timber. Now as for what somebody else can or can't do, not my call. Hope it works out good for you  Sedgehammer.Let us know.

[Sedgehammer]

@Brad_bb I've done before, so am hopeful it moves ok

@Hacknchop Thanks

[Brad_bb]

I've re-read this post (read while on the road yesterday), and now I'm not sure what it's referring to - a 6x6 treated post that is twisted by an inch, or just bowed along it's length by an inch?

Constraining the two ends and pulling the bow out and letting it dry more like that will likely take some of the bow out, but I would think trying to untwist a timber would end up splitting it?

[Sedgehammer]

@Brad_bb sorry if confusing. I have treated 6x6s that need the bow taken out of them.  Length when up will be 14' 6". I'm pretty sure they'll come out. Just was askin for any ideas outside of what my plans were

As to the twisted comment. I have taken it out of an 7' one on my porch. Was over an 1" off straight. I moved it lil'bit by lil'bit