This flexible wooden blanket puts to bed the problem of form squeeze-marks on curved laminated panels. Used in pairs (one above, one below) the blankets evenly distribute the pressure between the ribs of the form and smooth out small irregularities.

To make the blankets saw 1/2-in. sq. strips of a soft wood (I used basswood) and string them together with wire. Cut enough strips so the blankets are a couple of inches wider and longer than the workpiece. Drill the wire holes through the strips on a drill press using a fence and stops to ensure the holes are lined up. Drill the holes a little oversize. This makes stringing easy and allows the strips to move freely as they adjust under pressure to the contours of the bend.

In use I place a piece of 1/8-in. plywood or cardboard between the blanket and the laminated panel to further smooth out the pressure. Form alignment is critical to an accurate curve, so I use indexing fingers (two on the top mated with one on the bottom) as shown in the sketch.

Robert Thomason, Providence, R.I.

Fine Woodworking Magazine, April 1982 No. 33

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