Replies

1. 
   SgianDubh | Sep 22, 2005 02:07am | #1

   One option would be to steam a solid piece of wood to the required bend. Create a former to bend around allowing for some likely springback, although spring-in is not unheard of, steam and bend some generously sectioned sized wood using a bending strap and cramps and let it dry thoroughly for 12 to 36 hours.

   After the piece is bent work a groove on the inside face with an inverted router using a bearing guided grooving bit-- you could use a spindle moulder too in a similar manner. Use the same cutter to work a slit in the table top groundwork edge which, presumably will be man made board with some sort of bespoke custom veneering job.

   Make up curved loose feathers out of several bits of plywood or other man made board to go around the edge of the groundwork and fit the groove created on inside face of the bent foreedge and lick'n'stick it all together with glue and cramps.

   Flush off the applied bent solid wood lipping on the top and bottom face and create your edge moulding.

   Some woods steam bend better than others, and you'll need straight grained stock to reduce the chance of grain failure under tension and/or compression. Some radii are too tight to bend around too. If you've not done steam bending before there's quite a big investement in time and equipment to learn the tricks.

   That's just one option, and a neat one too if you can get over the learning curve hump.

   Other options might include a laminated bend or shorter solid wood segments (profiled with a router, straight bit and trammel on a jig) that are mitred together around the length of the table top circumference. Slainte.

   Richard Jones Furniture

2. 
   LeeGrindinger | Sep 22, 2005 03:36am | #2

   Sgian lists a couple of good approaches, here's another way to handle it when veneer is in play.

   One problem with attaching a solid edge to a veneered top is that the joint between the veneer and the solid edge will never hold a film type finish without cracking, the two materials just move differently. One way of dealing with that problem is to leave a quirk at the junction of the two pieces. I've never liked the look of a quirk in a table top so here's a solution.

   What I do is piece the solid edge to the substrate as segments before I veneer. I use a tongue and groove for this joint with a spline at the butts between the segments. Then I veneer the whole top piecing the veneer around the edge of the perimeter to match the joints in the segments and give the illusion of a solid edge. It actually is a solid edge but what shows on the top is veneer. After the veneering is done I rout the edge in. This approach makes it possible to use a film type finish like varnish and no crack will form.

   Here's an example, http://furniturecarver.com/img/demitop+.jpg

   Or if you want a more detailed view look here, it was a page I set up for a client. http://furniturecarver.com/Turek4.html

   Lee

   
   

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   Edited 9/21/2005 8:38 pm ET by LeeGrindinger