While most projects involving wood require straight boards, some projects require you to use curved wood. Curved wood can add uniqueness and original style to a project. There are several methods that can be used, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Experiment with different techniques to find the method that works best for your project.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Bending Wood with a Steam Box
Step 1. Prepare the steam box
The steam box can be a wooden box that can hold the wood you want to bend, or it can be a piece of PVC or other type of pipe. The box must have holes to pump steam into it. The steam box must also have an outlet to prevent the box from exploding under the pressure of the steam.
For best results, drill a hole that leads into the ground. In this way, the pressure in the steam box will push the water out of the box
Step 2. Prepare the mold
The mold will hold the wood that has been steamed. When dry, the wood will follow the shape of the mold.
You may have to clamp the wood to the mold using clamps. You can make your own wood clamps or buy them. Try making some circular shortcut holes in the center of the mold. Insert the bolt through the hole, then make another hole in the side of the wood that you will later use to clamp it. This can result in effective clamping
Step 3. Steam the wood
Turn on the heater. Put the wood in the steam box and seal it tightly, then start steaming it. On average, wood should be steamed for 1 hour for every 2.5 cm of thickness.
Step 4. Remove the wood from the steam box when the time is right, then place the wood in the mold
Do this as soon as possible after the wood is removed from the steam box. Allow the wood to remain in the mold until it is completely dry.
- Bend the wood slowly and carefully. Some types of wood are more flexible than others, and different cuts can withstand greater forces. Don't let the wood break while you're trying to bend it.
- Clamp the wood as soon as you place it in the mold. Some people like to clamp the wood when bending it. By clamping it in multiple places, you can gain more flexibility and control over the plank.
Method 2 of 3: Bending Wood with the Laminate Method
Step 1. Prepare the wood you want to bend
Cut the sheet of wood slightly longer than the final required size. The curve will reduce the length of the board.
- Before splitting the plank into thin sheets, draw a diagonal line using a pencil and ruler at the bottom of the wood. That way, if the pieces of wood fall off or get mixed up, you can still know the order in which they were attached.
- Split the wood plank along the grain, not against the grain. This makes it easier for you to paste all the wood sheets later without any hassles.
Step 2. Cover the wood sheet with a thin cork liner
The cork liner will help lock the laminate to its molded shape and correct any imperfect cuts in the wood so you can achieve a smoother, more even finish.
Step 3. Apply glue over one side of each sheet of wood
Sheets of wood that have been smeared with glue will hold the wood in a curved shape.
- Use a disposable roller to apply glue to the wood.
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Use the right glue:
- Try using a two-part urea-formaldehyde glue. This glue can turn out to be very hard, but dries slowly.
- Try using epoxy. This glue is very effective, but it is expensive.
- Do not using ordinary wood glue to bend the wood with the laminate method. This wood glue is soft and dries quickly so it is not suitable for this method.
Step 4. Place the wood in the mold as quickly as possible before the glue soaks in and hardens
Place another sheet of wood that has also been smeared with glue on top of the first sheet of wood. Repeat this process until you get the desired thickness of wood. Clamp all pasted (laminated) wood sheets. Once the glue is dry, cut the ends of the laminated wood to the desired size.
Method 3 of 3: Bending Wood with the Knit Method
Step 1. Prepare the wood
Make notches, or grooves, about 2/3 of the thickness of the wood. The kerf (kerf) is placed in the indentation you are going to make. Be careful, if the kerf is too deep, the wood may break.
- The key in the kerf is uniform spacing. Make the distance between the kerf as even as possible. Try to make the distance between the kerf about 1.5 cm.
- Always make cuts against the grain of the wood. The wood is more likely to break if you make the kerf in the direction of the wood grain.
Step 2. Press both ends of the wood so that the gaps you made in the kerf come together
This is what the wood looks like when it's finished.
Step 3. Fix the curve
Face the front side of the wood to attach the finir (thin sheet of wood) or laminate. Apart from repairing and solidifying the curves, this material will also hide any scratches that occur when you carry out the process.
If you want to disguise the kerf, mix glue and sawdust (or a suitable wood filler) to fill the voids in the wood grooves
Tips
- With any bending method, the wood will loosen slightly once it is removed from the mold. Take this into account, and bend the wood a little deeper as you use the molding to compensate for this effect.
- You can use the kerf method to bend the wood to be placed in a corner or metal box.
