Replies

1. 
   rompus62 | Nov 02, 2006 05:56am | #1

   Semper Phi,
   I don't know how wide the rails are but steaming is not the way to go. Build a form and laminate the pieces or just cut it out of solid. As far as the curves along the grain if the stiles are narrow you might not have to curve them at all. If the radius is tighter there are various ways to do it. You could trace the curve on the end of the board (so you have a guide to look at)and set the tablesaw at various angles as you gradually work your way around. The face of the board is toward the blade and the board would be on it's edge, with the back of the board against the fence.You would have to flip the board at the halfway point to get the other side. Then fair in the sharp angles with a block plane.Using a hand plane allows more control over a belt sander or palm sander. Finish by hand sanding and you are done. I am sure some will frown on the tablesaw method as unsafe. You could also just hand plane it without a tablesaw. Make a template of the curve to use as a guide as you plane along it's length.

   
   

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   Edited 11/2/2006 5:41 am ET by rompus62

1. 
   DavidCarlson | Nov 02, 2006 02:05pm | #2

   I didn't think of if it is small enough, it won't have to be rounded.  However, can a 1 1/2" piece of oak really withstand the pressure (over time) of a bent sheet of plexi prying against it?

1. 
   rompus62 | Nov 02, 2006 02:42pm | #3

   I assume you are talking about the pressure on the rails correct? .I would stay away from plexiglass, it looks like crap over time and will scratch up. Van Dykes Restorers sells curved glass in various sizes. You can get the glass and make the rails to fit, the plexiglass will look cheap IMO. The easiest method for the rails is to make them out of a soliid block. I have built many cabinets this way. When I worked in commercial cabinet shops that was the way we did it. When you glue on the top and bottoms of the cabinet they are strengthened considerably. The down side is that the grain is edge grain and not face grain. The key is to make a proper layout on plywood of the top view.Laminating is stronger but more time consuming.

   Edited 11/2/2006 7:43 am ET by rompus62

1. 
   DavidCarlson | Nov 03, 2006 11:25pm | #4

   The problem with ordering curved glass is that it costs money.  Like I said, I'm a Marine doing this project for my unit.  It is on their dime, and when I mean dime, I mean in as little of them as necessary.  The problem with it is that I have to convince my commander that it is necessary, even though we can't seem to justify sharpening saw blades and buying router bits.  We stock plexi, so it's not as hard to justify.  He knows as little about woodworking as he needs to.  (Translated-he knows nothing of it)  Justification is near impossible.  I have to sharpen and maintain our tools mostly on our (mine and the guys that work with me) dime.  I was thinking to relieve the pressure that I would have to heat it and bend it using the same forms that I'll use for bending the wood.  That may relieve the pressure.

1. 
   rompus62 | Nov 04, 2006 03:21am | #5

   I was going to suggest heating it but i wanted to talk you out of the plexi. My friend rebuilds wooden speed boats and he heats the plexi on a form so it will work, then you don't have to worry about the pressure on the wood.I just checked the van dyke website and the price for a radius piece is about 33 bucks plus 20 bucks for a boxing charge. Are you sure you guys can't spring for a hundred bucks or so?

2. 
   DavidCarlson | Nov 04, 2006 05:47am | #6

   The price you mentioned is for a piece of glass?  If it isn't much, I may be able to talk him into it.  He is, however, very tight fisted with the government's money.  I can't say I blame him, but he's a little past the point of affecting productivity.  Let me see what I can do.  I would prefer glass...

3. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Nov 05, 2006 05:19pm | #7

   You might mention to your commander that you saw one similar on an army post that used plexi-glass and the glass was terribly scratched over a short period of time. That should do it!

   In VN, my ranger hunter-killer team worked under the tactical command of 3rd Marine Division in I Corp-Quang Tri  Province in 1968. Had a Marine chopper out for a re-supply one morning. We were on a hilltop that had a very small opening and had blown-out trees all over it. It was tight.. and I mean dangerously tight.

   The Marine pilot refused to come in for an off-load as he did not want to risk the props hitting the trees (an he was absoulutely correct). But I needed the ammo and rations. I radioed him back that the ARMY put a chopper down there the evening before in the dark.

   Without another word being said, the chopper dropped down from the sky and we got our desperately needed re-supply. Sometimes Pride over-rides common sense.  ha.. ha...  ha..ha..ha..

   Good luck from the ex-Army who holds his Marine counter-parts in very high esteem from personally working hand-in-hand with that fine and brave group of men.

   Semper Fi...

   SARGE..

    

2. 
   bigfootnampa | Nov 06, 2006 02:08am | #8

   You need to heat and permanently bend the plexi if it is thick enough to be stiff. 

   It really isn't too hard to do... you need a form built to the radius and a way to heat the plastic.  An infrared lamp would be ideal, I think.  You can just lay the sheet on the form and let it slump to the radius as it heats.  They do it the same way when bending glass... the much higher heat required makes this an expensive professional project though.

2. 
   pwk | Nov 13, 2006 06:06pm | #9

   David, I can not help you with bending but I can save you some money on  the wood.  I harvest my own red oak and have it qaurter sawn. Let me know how may board feet you will need and I will ship it to you. You may now have enough funds left to buy the bent glass.

   Good luck