Replies

1. 
   JeffHeath | Dec 23, 2005 02:08pm | #1

   Will your customer accept a bent lamination of solid stock resawn into thinner strips and reglued to allow for bending, using a form.  That's how I'd do it without using veneer.

   Jeff

   
   

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   Edited 12/23/2005 6:09 am ET by JeffHeath

2. 
   douglas2cats | Dec 23, 2005 04:06pm | #2

   If the curve(s) are regular arc segments of a circle, you could make them with a trammel mounted router set to the appropriate radius - either right on the wood or to first create a template. I'm picturing something that's probably 2 different radii though, so you might need to stop the cuts in the middle then blend the center section by hand to connect the circle arcs. An osc. spindle sandle would probably come in real handy for this.

    

    

   If you build it he will come.

3. 
   QCInspector | Dec 24, 2005 06:00am | #3

   If you client won't accept JeffHeath's suggestion (the best option), then your left with steam bending or bandsawing from solid. The first has its complexities and the second is wasteful even if you glue the off cut from the back of the curves to the front, plus glue lines may show depending on the wood species.

   If it was a single curve and not the 'S' curve you could put it through a thickness planer over a 'fabricated hump' clamped on the bed for the outside curve. The inside curve by putting it through a drum sander like a 'Performax'.

   If you don't mind using narrower boards, then use a template and router with a top mounted bearing pattern bit. Then from the other side use a bottom mounted bearing pattern bit. That should give you 4" to 5" wide pieces to glue into the full panel.

   Once you have solved your approach to making the head / footboards, your left with the issue of seasonal movement of those 5' wide panels.

1. 
   KathleenFasanella | Dec 24, 2005 07:51am | #5

   I have built several sleigh beds from mahogany. The head and foot boards were made of curved vertical slats laminated from 5 pieces of thin material.The slats were 3 inches wide and set in mortises in the upper and lower rails.The spacing adjusted to allow a slat on each side to come against the side rails. I have the 16-32 thickness sander.but I never considered using it to surface anything but flat stock.A description of how this is done will be appreciated.Work safely ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

1. 
   QCInspector | Dec 24, 2005 01:13pm | #6

   Your thickness sander can be used to sand the inside radius of shallow curves only. With the outside of the curve on the feed belt, a curved panel will roll around the drum as the conveyor pushes it along. You will probably need to take light passes while controlling /steadying the panel by hand. Picture using old-fashioned wringer washer and watching the clothes curl as they come through the rollers. Please note that as the radius gets smaller there is less contact with the conveyer belt, and more contact with the sanding drum and the risk of kickback increases accordingly.

1. 
   KathleenFasanella | Dec 24, 2005 05:00pm | #7

   Thank you. I will try thisWork safely
   ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

2. 
   KathleenFasanella | Jan 01, 2006 07:56am | #9

   The slats that I make for my beds are bandsawn from 16/4 rough mahagany.I then sand inside and outside with a guide template on the oscillating drum sander. The shape is a shallow esss curve.this method insures that each slat will be exactly the same shape and size.I suppose that if you want the grain to run vertically in a solid panel, that this could be done by edge gluing the slats and finishing with a scraper.
   Work safely¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

4. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Dec 24, 2005 07:50am | #4

   If you can talk the customer into horizontal grain direction, life gets way way easier.   (Old sleigh beds were built with this grain direction, for exactly this reason.)  You cooper the planks.  You can make the panel bend out, then in, then out -- no problem.    

   You do the glue-up first, and then clean up with a hand plane.   You can pretty easily plane to a smooth curve.

5. 
   highfigh | Jan 01, 2006 06:07am | #8

   This person sounds totally unaware of the properties of wood if they said they want all solids with the curves going across the vertical grain. If it was possible to orient the grain horizontally with the curves going vertically, if the ends are one piece, you could cooper them and either sand or plane/scrape the peaks off.

   If it will have a crestrail, posts and a bottom rail with vertical slats, they may bend enough or they could be laminated but that technically makes them veneered, doesn't it?

   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."