Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Jan 26, 2009 01:41am | #1

   Here is a possible solution to your problem.

   http://eagleamerica.com/search.asp?ss=tambour

   But the old way of 1/2 round slats glued to canvas works too.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   loghacker | Jan 26, 2009 01:58am | #2

   Thanks, I will check it out.

2. 
   BOBABEUI | Jan 26, 2009 04:14pm | #3

   Amana Tool has an 'Ask Lonnie Bird' feature, posted there is a article on how to build a tambour door for a roll top desk, its available here http://www.amanatool.com/articles/making_tambour_door.html

3. 
   joinerswork | Jan 26, 2009 04:25pm | #4

   log,

   I've built several, and repaired others.  What specific questions do you have?

   Ray

1. 
   loghacker | Jan 26, 2009 06:28pm | #5

   What material do you use to glue the slats to and what glue do you use? How do you design the shape of the track that the tambour slides in?

1. 
   joinerswork | Jan 26, 2009 09:35pm | #6

   log,

   What material do you use to glue the slats to and what glue do you use?

   Cotton canvas, also called "duck cloth".  I've used titebond on new work.  I make a frame of scrap strips tacked onto plywood to hold the slats (bottom up) in place and square by wedging them tight.  Brush a heavy layer of glue over the slats, then place the canvas (pre-cut in width to keep it it back from the ends of the slats, don't want it riding in the groove), but over long so it hangs over both sides, and iron down with a warm clothes iron to set the glue quickly.  I've also used hide glue with glycerin added, in old work that had hide glue on it already.  When nearly dry, flex the tambour to break loose any glue that has squeezed thru between the slats (shouldn't be a problem if you've clamped them tightly together prior to glue-up).  Let dry.  The leading edge of a rolltop tambour  is typically thicker and wider than the other slats to accomodate the lock and/or pull.  This piece I usually glue on afterwards. It needs to have a "tongue" worked onto its ends that is the same size as the ends of the slats, which may or may not be thinned on their ends as well, depending on the design of the piece it is in.  Typical slat for a desk might be around 3/8" thick x 3/4" wide.  Just a little undersized in thickness so it will be a slip fit in the groove cut by a 3/8" router bit. Or larger or smaller to accomodate the scale of the piece.  A tambour for a Seymour desk 's top might be 3/8"wide x 3/16" thick, with each slat molded to resemble two 3 /16" reeds.

    

   How do you design the shape of the track that the tambour slides in? 

   Look at old examples.  Make a mock-up of track (one side) using  the radius you are considering, and try and see if a mock-up of your proposed slats  (need only be 4-6 pcs, 6-8" long glued up as a tambour) will slip around it.  The slats can be left square edged if the lid is convex (single curve), but must be rounded over (semicircular in section) or at least bevel- edged if it is to be an "s" curved top, so it can flex back onto itself.  Consider a thinner/narrower  slat (a rattling loose fit in the groove rather than a slip fit), or cutting a tenon onto their ends, or a larger radiussed groove, if the radius you cut is too tight for the tambour to negotiate.  Concave sections of track need to be shallow curves, to avoid stressing the canvas backing.

   Ray

4. 
   loghacker | Jan 26, 2009 10:10pm | #7

   Thanks, I will check the book on Amazon