How do I make this half-curved piece of wood

[sams93]

As part of something i've been asked to make from oak, I need to make 2 pieces like this (the bits at the top). I have a decent range of power and hand tools, what is the most economical/effiecient way of making the curved top piece that stretches from end to end? It isn't solid to my knowledge - although I suppose if I can't come up with a simple enough way to do it then it might end up being solid!

 

[Inspector]

I would cove cut the inside with my tablesaw.
Then saw the corners off the outside, finish shaping it with a spokeshave or hand plane followed by sandpaper.

Pete

 

[Cabinetman]

Probably easiest from solid, start off with a rectangular section and draw a semicircle on the end, then keep pushing it through a table saw altering the tilt of the blade till most of waste is removed. Screw a temporary block to the bottom to hold it in the vice and hand plane all the peaks off then a bit of a sand.
You could glue pieces to form a barrel type structure but that would take longer imo.
Ian

 

[Spectric]

You could make several strips each cut with a given angle and then joined together, ie with a 15° cut you need 24 pieces for a circle so using 12 would give you the 180° semi circle. You would need to sand afterwards to smooth out the transitions. Another way would be to find someone with a lathe to turn you a round blank and then cut in half.

 

[Orraloon]

Faced with something like that I would buy some large section dowel and simply cut it in half. If you really need a hollow in the underside then do that on the router table but I dont really see it as that important. Who would be looking under there.
There are many other ways so It depends on how much time you want to put in.
Regards
John