I’m fairly new at woodworking and am building a desk. The free end is oval (like a penisula). I’d rather not use glued laminent for the trim, how do I bend the wood trim? I don’t have a steamer, is that the only way?
Thank you for your feedback and help!
Replies
Hi,
There are two methods. Since you say that you're new to this, I would use the first method.
Kerf bending may take some experimenting at first but it's a simple approach. Make a series of cuts about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the thickness of your board. They should be about 1/8" to 3/8" apart depending upon the severity of your bend. A radial arm saw works for these cuts or a table saw or even a hand saw with some practice. The kerfs taken together allow you to bend the board into some kind of curve. Make sure you don't cut too deeply as this will either cause a telegraphing of the kerf through to the face side or the piece will just buckle at that point. Keep the spacing consistent as well.
The second method is cold bending. Here you'll need to make a series of laminates out of wood about 3/32" to 1/8" thick. Make them extra long and wide. To make the laminates you'll need to cut them off a blank on the table or band saw and then clean up the sawn face in the planer or thickness sander. It's work, no doubt about it. To glue up the laminations takes a one or two part form that has the shape you want. Check out FWW online or back issues for a more comprehensive look at this method. It guarantees your curve but it's a bit slower than the first method. Good luck. Gary
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