I need to bend some 2″ cove molding. I can bend it on the flat, but I am having trouble finding a way to bend it as it sits on the wall,..like crown. Steaming it seems to be the only way I can think of. It is an 8 foot length and not a large radius, but enough to require a method. I tried some kerf cuts, first with a band saw, then with a radial arm saw….nothing seems to work. Seems there are too many forces stopping the wood from bending.
any help woould be appreciated
Replies
i think youre going to have trouble doing what you described because of the spring angle involved. the edge touching the ceiling is going to have to stay the save dimension - or compress a tad while the wall piece is going to have to stretch (inside curve). taunton has a book on trim carpentry with various methods of achieving your end but none of them are easy. Good luck
If you can figure it out, you are better than anyone that I know of. There are a couple of ways to get there. The easiest, it to band-saw the shape, then run the pattern on a shaper, using mitered segments.
If you need the grain to run with the arc, you should steam bend a 2" square, then shape the cove after it has set. If you have never tried steam bending, this is a tricky procedure, which takes a lot of time to pull all of the parts together, then it takes a while for the wood to dry after the steaming is completed.
You could also do a laminated bend, but the ply's and or glue-lines showing up on moldings leaves a little something to be desired for me.
If you come up with an easy reliable way to do it be sure to send it in as a tip.
Jack
no one responded in time so I had to take matters into my own hands.
It was painted cove, about 1 3/4 wide. I ended up kerf cutting every 6 inches. I tried to avoid cutting through the face of it but it would not bend any other way. I had to cut it on the chop saw as it sits on the wall. Made a cut about a third down. Apparently it was JUST enough, because some of the cuts were close to breaking as I bent it. But it worked. I then had to put spackle in the kerf cuts and smooth. The next day I sanded and finished with a caulk and a sponge. After the paint, you could never see how I did it. Good thing too, because the homeowner arrived from out-of-town as I was cleaning my brush.....He asked how I did it and I had to tell him it was a Trade secret......with a poker face, of course.
Love it!
Jack
If it's painted trim, get some of the bendable resin stuff.
cutawooda.
Hopefully this cove isn't stained, If not you can slice thin strips off it(actaully you'll need a couple of pieces to acount for the loss of the kerf).. then take the pieces and bend them into shape glueing each piece onto the form,
The only other solution is to cut new cove from raw material using your router tacked onto a compass with the radius you wish to follow.
Start with a blank of wood the same length and dimensions as the original. Work on site and saw thin vertical kerfs with a hand saw about 1/4" short of the front. The spacing is what to experiment with. if it is painted use the resin stuff. if it is stained, stain it first and use a very fine tooth saw. Get it right and you will never see the kerf from the floor. or use putty after the install to dress the thin lines.
Edited 12/2/2007 8:29 pm ET by Spalted
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