Advice needed on building this frame
- Thread starter baldbrummie
- Start date
Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:
adidat
I will not buy anymore tools...
Can't see any joins so I'm guessing it's steam bent, you could buy some 9x2 and cut out lots of curves and join them together with 2 lengths so each join is over lapped with solid timber, or building a steaming box and hook it up to a wall paper stripper.
Adidat
Adidat
woodbrains
Established Member
Hello,
Glued laminations. If you have a bandsaw, slice lots of veneers, glue on a former of mdf or similar. You'll need loads of clamps. It definitely won't be steam bent. If you haven't the means to gluelam the arches, redesign to make use of straight lengths joined into a many sided polygon, perhaps.
Mike.
Glued laminations. If you have a bandsaw, slice lots of veneers, glue on a former of mdf or similar. You'll need loads of clamps. It definitely won't be steam bent. If you haven't the means to gluelam the arches, redesign to make use of straight lengths joined into a many sided polygon, perhaps.
Mike.
Dan j
Established Member
I'd also say glued laminate is the best way to go. Most pressure treated timber is soft wood which doesn't steam bend well.
That being said i looked up the image and the company that make them say they use redwood.
This picture shows it a bit clearer
That being said i looked up the image and the company that make them say they use redwood.
This picture shows it a bit clearer
custard
Established Member
Steaming is way way faster than laminating. But laminating often gets spring back down to well under 5%, while with steaming it's largely random and often over 10%. You choose what's appropriate.
It's a lovely design, and not particularly difficult. But it's still a fair few hours to build once you factor in making those formers and the full size rod for the profile. Looks more like a good design for batch production rather than a one-off. If you've never steamed or laminated before it would make sense to start with something smaller.
Good luck!
It's a lovely design, and not particularly difficult. But it's still a fair few hours to build once you factor in making those formers and the full size rod for the profile. Looks more like a good design for batch production rather than a one-off. If you've never steamed or laminated before it would make sense to start with something smaller.
Good luck!
woodbrains
Established Member
Hello,
There are 2 things to avoid when steam bending. There are others, but to simplify, if you want a high success rate, avoid softwoods, of which that frame is, and do not use kiln dried wood, of which you are almost certainly going to get. However, glue lams will work very well with softwood and kiln dried wood is essential.
Mike.
There are 2 things to avoid when steam bending. There are others, but to simplify, if you want a high success rate, avoid softwoods, of which that frame is, and do not use kiln dried wood, of which you are almost certainly going to get. However, glue lams will work very well with softwood and kiln dried wood is essential.
Mike.
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
Yes laminating. 5 to 6mm strips. You might get away with shorter lengths butted on the inner laminations as long as joints are staggered.
I did some rocking-horse rockers with hardwood outer layers and soft inner. No prob once you've got a former and enough clamps, but the outer layers need to be straight grained and fairly flawless.
I did some rocking-horse rockers with hardwood outer layers and soft inner. No prob once you've got a former and enough clamps, but the outer layers need to be straight grained and fairly flawless.
RobinBHM
Established Member
Im not if it would be strong enough, but how about routing out the ribs from 18mm tricoya then glue up 3 layers to form each rib.
Alternatively, buy some wide boards of durable timber 1" thick, machine a load of pieces to short sections of the shape, then glue them up in 3 layers with joints spaced apart brick fashion. With such a big glue area it would be very strong.
It just needs a bandsaw and a router with trim bit (wealdons 19mm x 50 replacement tip for eg).
Ive assumed the shape is circular, formed with 1 radius for inside and 1 for outside (as opposed to a blended radius or bezier curve etc).
Alternatively, buy some wide boards of durable timber 1" thick, machine a load of pieces to short sections of the shape, then glue them up in 3 layers with joints spaced apart brick fashion. With such a big glue area it would be very strong.
It just needs a bandsaw and a router with trim bit (wealdons 19mm x 50 replacement tip for eg).
Ive assumed the shape is circular, formed with 1 radius for inside and 1 for outside (as opposed to a blended radius or bezier curve etc).
