1/4 inch thick 9 inch diameter circular piece of natural softwood with1/8 inch thick porcelain clockface is badly warped. Can I risk trying to correct warp using steam? or what would you suggest? The clock is a very old "wag-at-e-wall" pendulum clock.

Donald McGregor, Wick, Caithness, Scotland., September 2008

You have a sticky one there. Anything you do will devalue the clock so you have to decide if you want to keep the value or enhance the clock. To correct the problem, you would have to remove the wood and use steam to straighten it if possible. If you got it flattened out, you would have to let it dry for several weeks under pressure. I would suggest a fine woodwork for this. You also might consider replacing the wood part but that also would reduce the antique value.

Barney, October 2008