posted
Okay, this is not really a sign topic but if I can figure out how to do this it soon will be.
I'm in the process of building bedroom furinture for myself. I had this idea years ago to make an entire set of furniture in a cartoon style. Everything is curved or crooked and painted in bright pastel colors. I'm using MDF for the faces and backs of it all. I've got it all built and assembled except for the dreser and chest of drawers. Those two have bowed sides and upturned feet.
I had the idea when I made these plans to use kerf-cut bendable plywood for the sides but it keeps splintering on me. I considered using PVC but I don't really want to use plastic if I can help it.
Does anybody out there have any idea on this short of building a gigantic steamer?
Thanks y'all.
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Patrick, I believe Mr. Sawatzky may have the answer.... altho it would be Cement with a faux plywood finish!! Solid Stuff. lol
John Lennig / SignRider
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
make your own plywood. Use seberal layers of a thinner wood material, maybe something cheap in the core, & just a nice laminate on the surfaces. force them to slide against each other as they flex into a jig you would make. Maybe a slow curing adhesive would be applied first, then bend into the jig that conforms them to your shape, while the adhesive cures. Just guessing here, but I saw a method for making curved arch-style trusses by having a flat jig with the shape described with several stops, the somewhat flexible 1x4's would be forced into the jig, then nailed together. Thought a similar approach could work for you maybe.
posted
Not sure how bent you need but "Luan"(sp) which is used as an underlayment for floor tile would bend some. Comes in a 4 x 8 sheet and I think about 1/8" thick. If you had a skeleton to attach it to. The last stuff I bought had a pretty nice grain to it.
Seems like you can soak wood, put it in a jig and bend it slowly. Then let it dry out before use. I don't know...might have been a dream.
-------------------- Ace Graphics & Printing Camdenton, MO. USA
posted
U slit it on the back side run slits run the length of your panel every 1/2 to 3/4 inch apart about 3/4 way thru ,, these slits must be started at the point of the bend thru the end point.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
There is a bendable plywood available from cabinet shop supply companies...can roll up a 4x8 sheet into a tube shape.
-------------------- John Byrd Ball Ground, Georgia 770-735-6874 http://johnbyrddesign.com so happy I gotta sit on both my hands to keep from wavin' at everybody! Posts: 741 | From: Ball Ground, Georgia, USA | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Build a structural frame then use thin wood to "skin" it.
Or make your own kerf cut MDF.
You could also laminate thin wood right in place, much the same way Doug mentioned except nail and glue the first skin in place, then laminate additional pieces right on top.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
WHen I was building the backing board for the seat in my hot rod a while back I ran into this very same problem. And my usual method of concrete and steel wasn't the solution.
After some research I found what I needed. Here in Canada I found the source at Lee Valley, a very cool supply house for fine wood workers and such.
They sold very thin, multiple layer plywood, spruce I as I recall, which could bend in as tight a radius as two inches. Fabulous stuff!
It was sold in small sheets (as big as two feet square I seem to remember). I laminated it up in four layers to get the same thickness as the rest of the seat former which was 1/2 inch thick.
The end product was very tough and just what I needed.
In your case the tricky part might be the front corners if they are a compound curve. If that's the case I would make them up of solid blocks of MDF. Any gaps I would fill with bondo to give a bullet proof and smooth finish.
Have fun with your project!! It sounds cool!
-dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
This reminds me of an article I read many moons ago of how Steinway bends wood to construct their grand pianos. I'll look for it but that was a long time ago and if it's where I think it is, it's buried. And then again, this was bending maple not plywood. But I do recall them using a lot of steam. You may be able to bend the plywood by first soaking it in water. The problem is, you don't know what the glue is gonna do. How do boat builders get wood to bend?
With plywood, you have grains running in different directions. Seems like bending thin plywood as suggested would work best. The inner framework sounds like a good idea.
-------------------- Bill Cosharek Bill Cosharek Signs N.Huntingdon,Pa
bcosharek@juno.com Posts: 703 | From: N.Huntingdon, Pa, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Got a call from an un-named source today about this post. I was with a customer and whoever it was left a message for me.
Seems there is a plywood called Wiggle Wood made just for stuff like this. I looked it up and it seems to be perfect. 4' x 8' sheets of thin wood made for bending. This stuff looks cool and as soon as I find a supplier I'm gonna try that.
I followed the same thoughts around and found a plywood with a rubber core to it made for the same purpose. Then I found wood venner mounted to coroplas! Wood on coro...who'd have thunk it?
Anyway, thanks for all of the responses and thanks to whoever it was who called!
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Cut 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood to the shape you want. Use these as a top and bottom plate to attach studs along the edge of the good side. Nail a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood or luan door skins, depending on size, to the studs, it should easily take the bend unless you really get crazy. Glue the entire surface and add another sheet of thin plywood. Repeat this and let dry. Remove studs from back and pull nails out through back. It should hold the shape. I have done redwood signs on a radius like this and poured curved walls in concrete this way.
-------------------- Dennis Goddard
Gibsonton Fl Posts: 1050 | From: Tampa Fl USA | Registered: Apr 2000
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