![]() Continue heating water and adding it to the tub.Īllow the lumber to soak for at least an hour before removing and clamping it to the form. Once hot enough, carefully pour the water into the tub (avoid splashing for safety’s sake). If the wood floats at first, consider placing a heavy rock or similar item on top of it. The amount of water necessary will depend on the size and number of boards, but you want enough to keep the wood submerged. The hotter the water, the easier the bending will be, but it will also be more dangerous to transport. Heat the Waterįill the pot with water and heat it on the stove. Be sure to plug the drain so you don’t lose hot water. A tub limits the mess and can handle the weight of all the water necessary to soak the wood. If the boards fit, the best place for soaking wood is a bathtub. Clamps ( squeeze-style clamps are best, but almost any clamp will do).Gather the Materials for Bending Wood with Water When it’s cool and dry, it will take the curved shape of the form. Once pliable, you’ll be able to clamp it to a form and allow it to dry. Bending Wood with WaterĪnother method for bending wood involves soaking it in hot water until it becomes pliable. The more closely you cut the kerfs, the tighter you’ll be able to bend the wood, so use a test piece to determine the spacing before moving on to expensive millwork. The result of all these cuts will be a much more flexible strip of wood that will bend inward and outward. ![]() Then, make cut kerfs across the board every ½ inch or so (keep these cuts evenly spaced for best results). To bend wood with kerf cuts, adjust the saw blade so that it will cut all but the last ⅛- to 3/16-inch of material. ![]() All you need is a table saw, circular saw, or radial arm saw. This approach to wood bending is best for curved trim pieces or scenarios where only one plane of the wood will be visible. It’s essentially an empty space, and it produces the easiest method for bending wood. “Kerf” is the name for the space left in a piece of wood after a saw blade passes through it and cuts away the material. This isn’t always a possibility, like in the case of baseboard trim, but the first tip below will explain how to handle those scenarios. If you’re struggling to bend a piece of wood, consider milling it thinner on a bandsaw or table saw. If the pattern doesn’t fit on one piece of wood, you can make the form with several pieces screwed to a piece of plywood.įinally, recognize that the thicker a piece of wood is, the harder it will be to bend. You can make a form from standard construction lumber, a jigsaw, and a pattern. For that reason, have a form available to which you can quickly clamp the pliable board. For that reason, it’s very easy to break wood while attempting to bend it, so adjust your expectations and don’t get discouraged.Īlso, for bending wood with steam or hot water, as described below, you only have about 30 seconds before the board cools or dries enough to stop being pliable. For one, wood fibers are tough and rigid, so wood doesn’t want to bend. Regardless of which of the following methods you choose, there are a few facts to understand about bending wood. Related 3 Ways to Finish Plywood Edges How to Bend Wood: The Need-to-Knows
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