Hi,
I’m looking to bend an 18″ radial arch with Honduran cedar 1″ x 7″ x 56″ length, and have been investigating steam bending blanks vs. four or five layer laminate with vacuum bagging. I have not done either before (and will be home-building either rig… in Guatemala). Esthetically, I prefer the idea of bending blanks, but a sticking point for steam treatment (besides springback and uniformity) is having to construct tension belts of 7″+ width (although I can do this with some work). However, uniformity is key as I will be needing a dozen arches for window installation, so…
I watched the FWW site videos on vacuum laminating and was impressed, but the relative severity of my radius is concerning.
Could a standard laminate – vacuum setup handle this curve, or would I be better to ditch the vacuum idea and just use clamps (and if I used clamps, would I be better off with a female or male mold to clamp to)?
Cheers all.
Replies
Vacuum pressure works best on gentle curves and where only light to moderate pressure is needed, so it isn't the the way to go for your project.
If everything works right, steaming is the faster way to create what you need, but it has a steeper learning curve, can create a lot of rejects in the process, and as you noted, will require straps and a sturdy mold. If you decide to use steam bending it helps to have an experienced teacher on hand.
Creating a laminated arch is a slightly more forgiving process but will still require some research, experimenting, and a probably a test piece or two before you get the technique to work smoothly. For an arch you would typically use a male form.
John White
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