Is it possible to bend wood?

[MikeG.]

We're narrowing in on this now! Pac has it, except that I would have an extra one in the middle.

Mike

 

[PAC1]

Hold the curve. Flexible material will not stay curved simply because you glued it in a curved shape it will try to straighten itself out. Therefore you need either a curved frame as per my first suggestion and Mike's design. If you use my third design you need something rigid the shape of curve you want top and bottom to stop the flexi material from straightening.

 

[PAC1]

Mike. Yes and I would definitely use 18mm Birch faced ply for the middle.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Thanks for being kind Pac.

Mike's idea was to make three curved pieces, one at the bottom, one at the top and one in the middle, and I think I must have a piece of wood 25mm square inside all the outside edges as well to finish it off.

I have a question for Mike -- why MDF? Couldn't I do the same thing with pine planks? (I have some pine planks left over from a big project I did putting up shelves in my office.) Probably only need two of them glued together.

 

[MikeG.]

Pine would be far better, if the pieces you have are wide enough to fit the whole curve onto. The only thing to watch out for is that the corners of the pine don't break off where the grain gets short.........and you'll only know what that means if you draw a curve onto the pine!

Mike

 

[Jake]

How thick would you ideally want these screens to be, Lady?

Mike and PAC's ideas are best if you want them to look substantial.

If you would ideally have something thinner, then directly laminating layers of flexi ply/mdf would be better. Making the formers is no more complicated than making the curved frame pieces in the other version - probably less as you only cut one curve around which to bend the glue up, rather than two parallel curves to make each frame piece. The whole idea of the flexi stuff is that it will hold the curve once it is glued.

 

[9fingers]

Whereabouts are you based Lady?
Maybe a forum member can offer some help with your design?

Bob

 

[PAC1]

Ladyinthisdress.

If you are going to have curved pieces that are only 25mm wide I would not use MDF or Pine as both of these could snap under the force from the skin trying to straighten. I would only use birch faced ply.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

I've been out onto my roof terrace where I keep one of those big green plastic boxes for my DIY junk and find I have nine pieces of pine boards 900mm x 270mm. They have a curnve (bullnose) along one side but I can use the other straight edge.

Well if a bit falls off after cutting I will glue it back on!

Big question: which is the best wood glue? My dad used to use that stuff in the green plastic bottle; he used to put a nail in the hole of the nozzle to close it LOL.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

How thick would you ideally want these screens to be, Lady?

Mike and PAC's ideas are best if you want them to look substantial.

If you would ideally have something thinner, then directly laminating layers of flexi ply/mdf would be better. Making the formers is no more complicated than making the curved frame pieces in the other version - probably less as you only cut one curve around which to bend the glue up, rather than two parallel curves to make each frame piece. The whole idea of the flexi stuff is that it will hold the curve once it is glued.

I don't suppose it matters how thick the screen is, really. As I will be moving it back and forth on castors I don't want it to be too heavy. Also while I am working on it I don't want it to be too heavy/unweildy for me to cope with!

I understand what you mean about formers now! Amazing how much I have learned in a couple of hours on this thread (for which many thanks to all!)

Clearly there are two ways of doing this, and I fancy Mike's way at the moment.

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Whereabouts are you based Lady?
Maybe a forum member can offer some help with your design?
Bob

Hi Bob!

I am on the south coast near Hastings. I am sure anyone can help me via email and on this forum where we can even swap drawings etc.

 

[PAC1]

Best Glue - Titebond III

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Ladyinthisdress.

If you are going to have curved pieces that are only 25mm wide I would not use MDF or Pine as both of these could snap under the force from the skin trying to straighten. I would only use birch faced ply.

Is one of us confused?

I am thinking of hardboard... wrapped onto a pine frame with solid pine curved pieces top bottom and middle (at least - poosibly four curved bits).

Thank for the glue tip Pac.

I have now worked out that my screen will be 1700mm wide, so if 3 panels each will be 566mm, if 4, 435mm and if 5, 340mm.

 

[PAC1]

Pine is fine for the top and bottom. But if the frame curved bits in the middle of the structure are pine they will be very weak

 

[LadyInThisDress]

Thanks Mike Photobucket pic coming up

 

[MikeG.]

That curve is so gentle that I would have no qualms at all about using the pine you have for the frame

Mike

 

[PAC1]

With that shallow curve pine will be ok. make a cardboard template and try to match the curve and wood grain as much as possible. Avoid having the grain curving the opposite direction to your curve

 

[LadyInThisDress]

If it all proves too difficult I suppose I could always abandon the idea of curves at all, and make something just like this:

http://www.naturalliving.co.uk/acatalog ... creen.html


... but I do still really want at least one of the side panels on my bath, and that HAS to be curved.

 

[PAC1]

Don't give up now!

You will be able to do it.

Do you have a router?

 

[LadyInThisDress]

With that shallow curve pine will be ok. make a cardboard template and try to match the curve and wood grain as much as possible. Avoid having the grain curving the opposite direction to your curve

Good tip -- thanks Pac.

No I don't have a router. I have a hammer and a jigsaw and a hand saw and an electric drill and a battery powered screwdriver, and about 4 clamps, and a tape measure.

It occurred to me that, once I have the curved frame, the skin can be made of thick fabric, not only things like ply or hardboard .....

Hmmm.... lots to think about!