Bending 7mm thick white oak trim around rounded shelf corner

[Siggy]

Hi all,

I'd like some advice from people who have done this before, but basically I need a trim around a shelf that needs to withstand full on use in retai so obviously can't be iron-on edgebandingl.
It's for display shelves that have got rounded corners. The trim thickness is 7mm and it will be attached to the veneered oak mdf.
Now the question that I have is if I could just steam it with wallpaper steamer, bend and clamp/headless nail it to the shelf.

The radius of corner is 150mm and obviously there's two of those on each shelf.

Thanks!

 

[HOJ]

if I could just steam it with wallpaper steamer, bend and clamp

I've done thin narrow trims like these by holding them over a boiling kettle, and glued them on, I don't like pins, you need a few clamps though! also used the hot pipe method but does come with the risk of scorching.

 

[Siggy]

Thanks for your reply, this is exactly what I was thinking. I better get lots of clamps, because there's quite few of those shelves

 

[Siggy]

I've done thin narrow trims like these by holding them over a boiling kettle, and glued them on, I don't like pins, you need a few clamps though! also used the hot pipe method but does come with the risk of scorching.

View attachment 162882

Forgot to ask, what wood did you use? Did any of them break?

 

[HOJ]

I work with Oak, the one in the picture was a full length @ 3m, and no joints to go round the bend, you do have to consider the grain in the stock, I haven't had any failures, I just keep steaming until it becomes pliant, if you have a few to do perhaps a steamer maybe a better option.

Meant to add, the clamps have a short piece of bicycle inner tube over their ends to push and hold the trim home, I did find that they left black marks on the face and react with the glue squeeze out, so I now put some masking tape on where they land.

 

[Otto]

As others have said, if you laminate thinner pieces together you should be OK. I have pre bent thin strips before using a wet cloth and an iron. Put the wet cloth where you want the bend and apply the iron, the steam will make the strips pliable. If you do this you won't be bending them as much during your glue up. I know your curve is sharper but image illustrates what your lamination may look like.

 

[Yojevol]

A few points:-

1. Experiment to make sure your 7mm material will bend around 150mm radius satisfactorily.
2. Form the bend around a former of slightly smaller radius before gluing on,
3. Bend it a bit more than 90deg
4. Make each trim out of 2 lengths so that the bends are independent of each other.
5. Heating often distorts the strip making it difficult to clamp down fully onto the substrate .
6. (@Otto got there just before me) Consider doing it in 2 x 3mm laminations. This would enable doing the job without heat and in one full length trim

Brian

 

[Siggy]

Meant to add, the clamps have a short piece of bicycle inner tube over their ends to push and hold the trim home, I did find that they left black marks on the face and react with the glue squeeze out, so I now put some masking tape on where they land.

That’s a good tip, since I’m gonna be using the same inner tube trick, and yeah it has to be one length.

As others have said, if you laminate thinner pieces together you should be OK. I have pre bent thin strips before using a wet cloth and an iron. Put the wet cloth where you want the bend and apply the iron, the steam will make the strips pliable. If you do this you won't be bending them as much during your glue up. I know your curve is sharper but image illustrates what your lamination may look like.

Thanks, I might try the pre-bending thing. The project is somewhat short on time and with limited budget (aren’t they all) so double lamination is not an option this time.

A few points:-

1. Experiment to make sure your 7mm material will bend around 150mm radius satisfactorily.
2. Form the bend around a former of slightly smaller radius before gluing on,
3. Bend it a bit more than 90deg
4. Make each trim out of 2 lengths so that the bends are independent of each other.
5. Heating often distorts the strip making it difficult to clamp down fully onto the substrate .
6. (@Otto got there just before me) Consider doing it in 2 x 3mm laminations. This would enable doing the job without heat and in one full length trim

Brian

Thanks Brian. I think I’ll start with some experiments and see how pliable it gets without double lamination. The trim has to be one length and I don’t think I could deliver the double lamination on time and within budget for the client.

 

[Sachakins]

Layout the top dimensions on a board then secure a rounded piece of ply where bends are, then screw down former blocks 7mm outside.
Them steam and bend onto the former, using wedges getween trim and outside blocks yo hold secure.
Let cool and dry out, remove and you'll have a trim to suit, without much effort easier to glue on to the top then. And won't need pins, and lot less clamps , even tape will enough to hold preformed trim while glueing.

This sort of idea

 

[--Tom--]

Agree with the suggestions to prebend using a former, will make glue up a lot more straight forward. Will just rely on accuracy to ensure each one fits

 

[XTiffy]

I have a large coil of thick (3mm x 30mm?) of oak edge banding that I use for edging. This is not glued just plain. I can't remember where I bought it, possibly Hafele. I am sure one thickness would suffice but no doubt you could double it up.

 

[XTiffy]

For clamping on shelves I have used ratchet cramps. They put pressure right around the curves. I have several plain old lever straps plus a couple that used to be made by Stanley for woodworking. Same principle but a spanner is used to tighten.

 

[Lons]

The easiest way to clamp and keep the edging true is make a former the shape of the corner out of MDF or ply, but a short base on to extend either over or preferably under the bench and you can get the join tight with just one clamp, works a treat, I've done it a number of times.