Is it possible to bend wood?

[LadyInThisDress]

Pls excuse my increcible ignorance... but... I am wondering if it is possible for an amateur to make a fairly inexpensive screen to go around the arc side of a corner bath and make the screen curve to mimic the curve of the bath?

My idea is to build three tallish, thinnish frames, then pin hardboard panels to them on both sides (pretty much as if you were building a stud wall) then put castors on the bottom, to hide the corner bath. Then wallpaper the panels and paint them to match the walls.

Now, in order to follow the curve of the bath, these frames would have to be curved. Well I've stood and looked at bits of "one-by-one" in B & Q but for the life of me I cannot see how one could curve them easily.

Any ideas?

Lady

PS I don't have a workshop or anything; the work would have to be indoors.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MikeG.]

Yes, but it isn't for the faint-hearted. Google "Steaming wood", and watch a few youTube clips. I have had a go, and the results were variable and difficult to predict........but, making a steamer and a basic clamping jig/ former is quite straight forward.

Have a go.........but make sure you have some welders gloves (and some Brulidine to hand!).

Mike

PS.......you don't actually need to bend any wood for what you are planning. You could achieve the same thing by laminated (gluing pieces of straight wood together), and cutting out your shape. It is only packiing after all, and will be decorated over.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Ohh blimey Mike that looks far too complicated.

I am indeed faint-hearted!

Is there not some other way I can make this screen without getting involved in trying to steam my own wood? Isn't there something bendy I can buy?

 

[Dibs-h]

Laminations of thin'ish timber would need to be clamped round a former whilst the glue sets. Once set - you have your bent element of the frame.

I suppose this may well be easier than steam bending.

Another thought that springs to mind is to laminate up mdf around a former. Say 6mm - 3 strips giving 18mm. Being 6mm it should bend easily around a gentle curve. You could use MR MDF and then apply a finish that should allow any splashes, etc. to drain off.

You could explore leaving the middle piece short at the end - to effectively create a bridle joint and do the opposite with the stile. I'd want something a little more substantial than hardboard - say some 6mm ply. If you did that - you could make the middle lamination a little less wide and you'd then get a groove to hold (and perhaps glue) the panel in.

Should be doable at home - just require a circular saw and some sort of guide to cut the strips prior to lamination.

 

[bodgermatic]

Two sheets of bendy ply, glued back-to-back around a former?

http://catalogue.chilterntimber.co.uk/p ... 80625.html

Has a fair chance of giving you thickness and strength you require.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Thanks Dibs and Bodge.

I don't know what a former is.

I dont have a circular saw just a jigsaw and handsaw. But there is a local woodshop who can cut anything to size for me.

Looked at the bendy ply, and found out there is also bendy MDF.

http://www.matchboard.co.uk/flexi.htm

http://www.wickes.co.uk/MDF-Flexi-Board/invt/190139

Which of those would be better, I wonder? I think MDF might be too heavy?

Certainly more my kind of thing than trying to steam-bed timber. This has to be made so simple a ten year old could do it, or I cannot!

Keep the ideas flowing please, simpler and more silly person proof the better!

Lady

 

[Dibs-h]

Thanks Dibs and Bodge.

I don't know what a former is.

I dont have a circular saw just a jigsaw and handsaw. But there is a local woodshop who can cut anything to size for me.

Looked at the bendy ply, and found out there is also bendy MDF.

http://www.matchboard.co.uk/flexi.htm

Which of those would be better, I wonder? I think MDF might be too heavy?

Certainly more my kind of thing than trying to steam-bed timber. This has to be made so simple a ten year old could do it, or I cannot!

Keep the ideas flowing please, simpler and more silly person proof the better!

Lady

A former is what you would bend your timber around - which in this case would be reasonably representative of the bath curve.

Bending mdf\ply is fine if you are only going to see 1 side of it - but in this case I would suspect you would want to see both sides of the screen. You could use bendy mdf\ply on both sides.

 

[bodgermatic]

I don't know what a former is.

You would make up a former in the shape of the curve you wish to create, this would need to be as big as one of your three panels. You could cut the former from MDF with your jigsaw. You then bend the bendy material around the former, apply glue to the bendy stuff and then add another sheet on top, and clamp it down to let it dry. You can then remove the sheets from the former, and the two glued sheets retain the shape of the former. This is known as laminating. You can go to as many sheets as you like, but bear in mind if you do this with sheet materials it will end up quite heavy.

The more complex (but lighter) approach is to create curved frame members (which is what I think you were thinking of initially, by laminating around a former. Then use these to construct a frame which you attach hardboard to.

 

[Chris Knight]

The bendy MDF is rather fragile until glued up and can easily break along the saw kerfs. It is also heavy as you say so I personally would use the ply if going this route.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Hi guys!

Thanks for telling me what a former is. I am still unable to visualise it though, I know I am really dense sometimes.

"Bending mdf\ply is fine if you are only going to see 1 side of it"

Yes, I was worried about that, but, looking at this pic

http://www.matchboard.co.uk/flexi.htm

it looks like the MDF is finished on both sides. But Water thinks it is unsuitable. Pity, cos it looks nice and simple.

So I am left still wondering what a former looks like. Would it just be a small piece of wood just the length of one panel (about 15")?

 

[bodgermatic]

Good picture here:

http://www.uniqueprojects.com/projects/ ... htm?page=3

The former is the bit at the back of the picture, that the two flexible panels are clamped to.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Oooohh the penny just dropped about the former!

Aha! Now I get it. You mean just get a flat piece of wood and using the jigsaw cut a short of shelf shaped piece with one curved edge. Yes by jove she has got it!

Then use plywood and bend it round the former and glue it. But then it will be glused to the former so how doy you remove it oh I am back to darkness again after my one moment of illumination!

"The more complex (but lighter) approach is to create curved frame members (which is what I think you were thinking of initially, by laminating around a former. Then use these to construct a frame which you attach hardboard to."

Yes, this idea sounds feasible to me.

 

[Jake]

That picture is of two layers glued back to back. When they are glued together, they turn into a rigid object. If you are going to paint it, the MDF will give a better finish as the bendy ply has a very open texture and would need another layer of (say) 2mm MDF over it both sides to give a good base for paint, else you will be filling and sanding forever. The bendy ply is nicer to work with and has a weight advantage, but in this case I think the MDF would be the better option.

The ply is very water absorbent as well.

Either way, you are going to need to think through how you are going to finish the top and bottom of the screen as the ends of both ply and mdf will need to be 'closed off' somehow.

It's all possible, but not an easy task without much by the way of tools!

 

[Jake]

It isn't glued to the former, the layers are glued to each other while bent around the former. It is only 'fixed' temporarily to the former with straps or something. Once the layers of ply/mdf are glued together, they become a rigid assembly and will hold the curve after the former is removed.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

If you are going to paint it, the MDF will give a better finish as the bendy ply has a very open texture and would need another layer of (say) 2mm MDF over it both sides to give a good base for paint, else you will be filling and sanding forever.... The ply is very water absorbent as well.

Jake -- the screen won't be anywhere near the bath when the bath is being used. It is to screen it when not in use. Then it will be pushed away (hence castors) to access the bath, then put back afterwards.

My decoration idea is to wallpaper the screen with an anaglypta type thick textured paper (B&Q have loads of them) then paint it to match the walls of the room. (This is in a bedroom.)

 

[LadyInThisDress]

It isn't glued to the former, the layers are glued to each other while bent around the former. It is only 'fixed' temporarily to the former with straps or something. Once the layers of ply/mdf are glued together, they become a rigid assembly and will hold the curve after the former is removed.

Thanks Jake for explaining that. S, maybe two layers of plywood then, what about hardboard is that any good for one layer -- I'm thinking that the smooth side would give a good base for my wallpaper idea...

 

[PAC1]

If you do not mind the screens being 60mm thick then get some 18mm plywood and draw on it the curve you want to achieve and the length you need but no longer than about 600mm (subject to the width of flexi MDF). Then draw a line parallel to the first curve approximately 50mm from the first line. Then make several as per your first. Then cut some strips of MDF 50mm wide the height you want and fix one to one end of the curved pieces and another to the other end fix intermediate curved pieces every 300 to 400mm to make a frame the size and shape you want. Then get some flexi MDF and glue and fix it to the frame (you could screw it to the frame). Repeat as many as needed.

If you want it thin make the same frame but a slightly tighter curve and longer then you need with some blocks at each edge for clamping Then you want and then lay one sheet of flexi MDF on the convex side and then glue three or four further sheets to this (one at a time). make sure you have lots of clamps. When the glue has set stand up the laminated MDF and you have your screen. Again repeat as needed

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Thanks Pac for your considered reply.

If you do not mind the screens being 60mm thick

I was hoping for 30mm ...

then get some 18mm plywood and draw on it the curve you want to achieve and the length you need but no longer than about 600mm (subject to the width of flexi MDF). Then draw a line parallel to the first curve approximately 50mm from the first line. Then make several as per your first. Then cut some strips of MDF 50mm wide the height you want and fix one to one end of the curved pieces and another to the other end fix intermediate curved pieces every 300 to 400mm to make a frame the size and shape you want. Then get some flexi MDF and glue and fix it to the frame (you could screw it to the frame). Repeat as many as needed.

If you want it thin make the same frame but a slightly tighter curve and longer then you need with some blocks at each edge for clamping Then you want and then lay one sheet of flexi MDF on the convex side and then glue three or four further sheets to this (one at a time). make sure you have lots of clamps. When the glue has set stand up the laminated MDF and you have your screen. Again repeat as needed

Isn't there a way to use just two sheets of ply/mdf and have the screen hollow rather than all those heavy layers?

 

[Jake]

S, maybe two layers of plywood then, what about hardboard is that any good for one layer -- I'm thinking that the smooth side would give a good base for my wallpaper idea...

As you want the texture of the wallpaper, scrub my comments about mdf being preferable, it's real advantage was in having a paint ready surface, but that's irrelevant. The bendy ply would be a good enough base for wallpaper*.

I would go for three layers of ply to add rigidity. It comes in different thicknesses so you can adjust the final thickness.


(*I would use a better glue than the old fashioned paste btw, I think the newer ready mix type is supposed to be more damp-proof, but I'm not really up on wallpaper or wallpapering).

 

[LadyInThisDress]

The other thing I want to do with this bath is to make a tall panel at each end resting on the bath, where the bath meets the wall. These would also have to be curved.