Bending Hardwood Timber

The ability to alter the grain direction as our imagination dictates while preserving the strength inherent in a straight piece of wood allows us to create the elegant beauty of a continuous arm windsor chair and the inspiring sweep of a vaulted ceiling.

Bending hardwood timber.

If you are starting out for a bending form a jig to bend around find something solid with a radius similar to what you want a spare wheel stone pillar lamppost or cut the shape 15 of the final desired radius from plywood. Timber over bending blocks vertical shores cramped toboat the successfullaminationofbendsis a job complicated by considerationssuchas the typeofglue tobe usedand whether or not the timber requires softening before bending. Suitable timbers used for bending purposes are jarrah celery top spotted gum. If your trim is thin enough it may bend without using steam.

Further advice should be sought before this type of bendingis attempted. Mike korsak demonstrates his technique using a two part bending form and shopmade bead stock from six layers of rosewood veneer. It ll bend in any direction and twist too. There is a learning curve.

Pre boredholes forbolts andscrews figure 3. Bending timber with joshua james. Others like pines firs and tropical hard woods don t bend well. Don t make your first experiece with cold bend hardwood a paid project for a customer.

Kerf yourself a curved caul. Timber benders reviles an old craft where timbers were steam softened and bended to get respective shape and form. These are normally g clamps. How to create curves with bent lamination.

Get to know what tools you want to have around how to use leverage to accomplish the bend how the wood will look after it is bent. Bending wood is one of the latter. Brian boggs a virtuoso of bending wood explains the basics and far beyond. If you are starting out i recommend buying at least one decent.

We first explored our world in sailing ships with bent. Also see the lamination technique for bending wood.