How to Make Wood Flexible
Create a bending form., Plane your lumber into thin strips., Soak the strips in hot water (optional)., Glue the strips together immediately., Clamp the wood onto your bending form., Leave the wood until the glue sets.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Create a bending form.
Set a drawing compass to the thickness of your lumber.
Using the compass, trace two lines on a stack of plywood in the shape you'd like to bend your wood.
Cut along both lines with a bandsaw.
Now you have a gap the perfect size for your lumber, and a two-part plywood form to press the lumber from both sides.Alternatively, just cut one line to create the inner curve, and use clamps to press the lumber against it.
There will be a small amount of spring-back after you release the wood with this method.
Bend it slightly farther than you want the final shape. -
Step 2: Plane your lumber into thin strips.
Once glued back together, these strips will be much more flexible than the original lumber.
You can use any type of wood, but cross-grained wood and wood with knots are likely to break.Plane it into strips according to how far you plan to bend it:
For a curve with a 2 to 4 inch radius (5–10 cm), plane the wood into 3/32" (2.4 mm) strips.
For a curve with a 4 to 8 inch (10–20 cm) radius, plane to 1/8" (3.2 mm).
For an 8 to 12 inch (20–30 cm) radius, plane to 3/16" (4.8 mm).
For a radius greater than 12 inches (30 cm), plane to 1/4" (6.4 mm).
These are guidelines to use as a starting point.
The wood species and grain slope affect the result, so you may need to experiment. , This will make the wood more flexible, which may be necessary for tight bends.
However, for best results, you will need to keep the wood wet for the first three or four hours after you bend it.
Skip this step if you prefer a less time-intensive approach, or if you are only creating slight bends., Working with freshly planed surfaces will increase the strength of the bond.
You can use epoxy, polyurethane, aliphatic resin, or just about any high-strength glue that works on wood and meets the needs of your project.Distribute the glue as evenly as possible.
Rolling a 3/8" (9.5 mm) threaded rod over the wood can give better results than brushing on the glue.
Flip every other strip end-to-end before gluing.
This will prevent the grain slope from lining up, removing lines of weakness. , Bend the laminated wood along the piece of plywood you prepared.
Clamp it tight in several places.
The more clamps you use, the less chance there is that gaps will appear between strips, and the closer your wood will get to the desired shape. , Check your glue label instructions for the curing time. (If it doesn't say, wait 24 hours.) After that, the wood should stay in its new shape.
If you soaked the wood, don't forget to keep it wet for the first three or four hours. -
Step 3: Soak the strips in hot water (optional).
-
Step 4: Glue the strips together immediately.
-
Step 5: Clamp the wood onto your bending form.
-
Step 6: Leave the wood until the glue sets.
Detailed Guide
Set a drawing compass to the thickness of your lumber.
Using the compass, trace two lines on a stack of plywood in the shape you'd like to bend your wood.
Cut along both lines with a bandsaw.
Now you have a gap the perfect size for your lumber, and a two-part plywood form to press the lumber from both sides.Alternatively, just cut one line to create the inner curve, and use clamps to press the lumber against it.
There will be a small amount of spring-back after you release the wood with this method.
Bend it slightly farther than you want the final shape.
Once glued back together, these strips will be much more flexible than the original lumber.
You can use any type of wood, but cross-grained wood and wood with knots are likely to break.Plane it into strips according to how far you plan to bend it:
For a curve with a 2 to 4 inch radius (5–10 cm), plane the wood into 3/32" (2.4 mm) strips.
For a curve with a 4 to 8 inch (10–20 cm) radius, plane to 1/8" (3.2 mm).
For an 8 to 12 inch (20–30 cm) radius, plane to 3/16" (4.8 mm).
For a radius greater than 12 inches (30 cm), plane to 1/4" (6.4 mm).
These are guidelines to use as a starting point.
The wood species and grain slope affect the result, so you may need to experiment. , This will make the wood more flexible, which may be necessary for tight bends.
However, for best results, you will need to keep the wood wet for the first three or four hours after you bend it.
Skip this step if you prefer a less time-intensive approach, or if you are only creating slight bends., Working with freshly planed surfaces will increase the strength of the bond.
You can use epoxy, polyurethane, aliphatic resin, or just about any high-strength glue that works on wood and meets the needs of your project.Distribute the glue as evenly as possible.
Rolling a 3/8" (9.5 mm) threaded rod over the wood can give better results than brushing on the glue.
Flip every other strip end-to-end before gluing.
This will prevent the grain slope from lining up, removing lines of weakness. , Bend the laminated wood along the piece of plywood you prepared.
Clamp it tight in several places.
The more clamps you use, the less chance there is that gaps will appear between strips, and the closer your wood will get to the desired shape. , Check your glue label instructions for the curing time. (If it doesn't say, wait 24 hours.) After that, the wood should stay in its new shape.
If you soaked the wood, don't forget to keep it wet for the first three or four hours.
About the Author
Jose Cook
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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