) ) ) C U R V E S ( ( (
How to make curved wooden panels or large diameter cylinders from wood, literally takes the ability to think outside the box. As a simple example; I will start with, how to make a large diameter cylinder out of solid wood.
This drawing represents a 36" DIA. circle that has had one quarter divided into 5 equal wedges at 18 Degrees.
That would mean that 20 boards cut and fastened together would complete the cylinder.
Each board is beveled on each end to 9 Degrees. When the two bevels are put together, their total is 18 degrees. The width of the board is just a little bit less than 5.75 inches. In the drawing above, the blue line is the 36" circle and the red lines represent the boards. The red that falls outside of the circle will have to be removed using hand planes and sandpaper to fair it down to the finished curve.
This drawing is to illustrate how to use plywood over a framework to make the same shape. I would say that probably the smallest diameter you can bend a piece of 1/4" plywood around, would be 48". The other option is to kerf the back of the plywood panel to make it bend easier. A kerf is a shallow saw cut made in evenly spaced increments perpendicular to the bend of the wood. This allows the inside of the panel to compress making it easier to bend. There are also manufactured bending plywoods, which would accomplish the same thing. They come without a finished veneer, so you would need to apply a veneer over the top. Bending plywood would allow for very tight bends without distortion.
The advantage of using solid wood is the lack of a need to build an elaborate framework, also it may take less time to construct. The biggest disadvantage may be in the appearance, because grain matching might be a problem.
The plywood method might take longer, but the cosmetic appearance would be more even.
How to make curved wooden panels or large diameter cylinders from wood, literally takes the ability to think outside the box. As a simple example; I will start with, how to make a large diameter cylinder out of solid wood.
 |
| 36" DIA. circle |
That would mean that 20 boards cut and fastened together would complete the cylinder.
Each board is beveled on each end to 9 Degrees. When the two bevels are put together, their total is 18 degrees. The width of the board is just a little bit less than 5.75 inches. In the drawing above, the blue line is the 36" circle and the red lines represent the boards. The red that falls outside of the circle will have to be removed using hand planes and sandpaper to fair it down to the finished curve.
The advantage of using solid wood is the lack of a need to build an elaborate framework, also it may take less time to construct. The biggest disadvantage may be in the appearance, because grain matching might be a problem.
The plywood method might take longer, but the cosmetic appearance would be more even.
No comments:
Post a Comment