Re: [Phys-l] Warped 2-metersticks....

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

von Philp wrote:
> I've recently noticed that my long 2-metersticks are becoming warped, even 
> though I am careful to store them lying flat.  Do any of you have any 
> suggestions on how to correct this?  Would taping or clamping them securely 
> together over the summer help to straighten them out....or is this a lost 
> cause?

I wouldn't just clamp them together, nor would I clamp them
flat;  I would bend them the other way, and clamp them thus
for a suitably long time.

If there are pairs of sticks with comparable problems, it should
suffice to clamp (or tape) them to each other, pairwise, with
spacers in the middle.  Otherwise I'd make a more specialized
jig ... possibly a sturdy shelf, spacers atop the shelf, rulers
atop the spacers, and bricks atop the rulers.

This is not guaranteed to solve the problem, but it's cheap
and easy and I'd give it decent odds of success.  The model
is that the molecules creep, like the flow of molasses in
January.  To get them to creep back, you need both force
*and* time.