Floating bendy ply desk project

[sucramuk]

Hi want to build the attached for myself.

Intend to use bendy ply, want a finished thickness of around 30mm. So intention is to use 5 x 6mm pieces, pressed together in a bag press over a former.
Will the span be OK, I know it would be OK with a solid ply sheet but not sure with the bend ply. My gut feeling says no.

Or I could form the curved ends and then fix onto solid 'desk' piece, any suggestion on fixing this end to end together though?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[MattRoberts]

If I understand correctly, I think you'll struggle to bend 6mm ply 90 degrees over a 20cm radius? Might need to go thinner

 

[sucramuk]

I intended to use 6mm flexiply, which I believe will pull to this radius.
However, I think the bendy ply will be to flimsy for the top even though 5 x 6mm lamintated.

 

[MattRoberts]

I intended to use 6mm flexiply, which I believe will pull to this radius.
However, I think the bendy ply will be to flimsy for the top even though 5 x 6mm lamintated.

Well laminated boards should be as strong as a single board of the equivalent thickness. If you believe a single board of 30mm will be strong enough, then you're set!

 

[Jake]

You could make laminates 2 and 4 from flexi-ply only for the curve and end, and standard rigid ply for the straight middle section to stiffen it up. But the edges won't then match if that matters.

 

[petermillard]

Similar to what Jake's suggesting (I think) but I'd be inclined to use a solid 18mm core for the top, and skin it top & bottom with 6mm flexy ply (or mdf) and just laminate the curved sections in flexy.

I'm assuming this is to be a painted finish? IME the surface of flex ply tends to crack a little over a tight radius, so it needs a bit of prep.

HTH Pete