Replies

1. 
   ring | Jun 09, 2009 11:24am | #1

   I've done bent laminations with Padauk successfully, but it must be straight-grained to avoid splits.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1

2. 
   KeithNewton | Jun 09, 2009 04:14pm | #2

   I don't see how your photo shows anything relative to M&T, but I would like to just say that more thinner plys is better at holding its shape with less spring-back than fewer thick ones.

   You may already know that when laminating, that you can not bend all of the way to the end of each ply. I think the rule of thumb, is that it takes a length of eight times the thickness of each ply to start the bend.

   Then even after the bend is made and the glue is dry, you can expect a little bit of spring-back on the end of parts which get cut, especially in severe arc bends. So cutting a joint on the end of laminated bends may be giving individual plys a way to relieve the built-in stress of the bend, changing the joint shape or angle.

1. 
   Stig | Jun 10, 2009 06:01am | #5

   Hello Keith <!----><!----><!---->Newton<!----><!---->.With M&T, do you mean mortise and tenon? If so, that is at the origin for my search. We have found a very good chair design that includes bent wood. We intend to use mortise and tenons to join these arches after forming them. And that is what we are looking for. A good wood that lends it self to bending like you see on the photo and is sturdy, (strong), enough to use mortise and tenon on.

   Stig

3. 
   md2453 | Jun 09, 2009 11:37pm | #3

   Stig:

   Pretty table base!  Somebody said thinner plies and they are correct thinner is better as there will be far less springback and breakage.  I always use either a two part form, one for each side or hubby got a big band of stainless steel from a metal supplier near us a couple years ago and we used it as a backer strap to assist in bending some particularly nasty cherry.  You should plan on making your parts long so they can be cut to size after bending also.

   From the looks of your picture you've done a great job of bending things already, and perhaps the real problem is working the wood once bent.  I use all kinds of shop built jigs carbide bits and very very very sharp hand tools when working with bloodwood.

   Be sure to show us the finished product!

   Madison 

4. 
   Stig | Jun 10, 2009 05:51am | #4

   Thank you All.

   As you see on the photo, we succeeded in bending the blood wood i talked about but with great effort. As i said at the start we have the jigs etc.

   What we are trying to find out is if you guys know which type of wood is the easiest to bend. I know for sure that blood wood is not one of them.

   Stig.

1. 
   cwalvoord | Jun 10, 2009 10:36pm | #6

   I have made bent laminations from both maple and white oak and found it relatively easy. The oak is nice because the glue lines disappear if you use nice rift sawn stock. I also made some bent laminations out of cedar for an outdoor application and it was easy and has held up well.Chris

1. 
   Stig | Jun 12, 2009 07:14am | #7

   Chris.

   Tank you for the input. Here is what we did. After poking around for all kinds of wood we ripped, re-sawed and planed a whole bunch of different woods to a bit below 1/8 inch thick. As we put them all to a test we found out that oak came out the best, just like you said. Oak it will be.

   So, next week we will make up enough to form at least two or three arches. They will be two inch wide and a bit over an inch thick. We will use about 14 inch as the radius in circle. The glue will be a resin urea powder mixed with water. It is a good glue for this type of work, no “creep” like with the Titebond.

    

   Thanks Stig.

    

   Edited 6/12/2009 12:15 am by Stig