Just realized I was crowning every panel upside down on my first 200 drawer fronts
Spent 3 hours yesterday reworking a set of maple drawer fronts for a kitchen in Lawrence because the grain arched down on every one. I always thought the bark side just had to face out, but a guy named Ray at the lumber yard pointed out the growth rings should smile up so water runs off the edge, not pool in the dip. Now I'm staring at the 40 fronts I already installed in the pantry that all cup the wrong way. How do you all check ring direction fast when you're spraying and can't see the end grain?
Buddy of mine in Topeka did the same thing on a batch of 60 cherry fronts last spring. He wets a finger and wipes a swipe across the face before spraying, the water raises the grain and the little hairs lean whichever way the rings run. Cheap trick but he swears it saved him a full rework, says it shows up best under a raking light right after the wipe. Ray sounds like a keeper though, most yard guys just sell you the board and wave goodbye.