Does anyone know the simplest way to bend wooden moldings/door casings so they can fit into, for example, an arch? Or are there any building suppliers that sell bent wooden moldings, and I don't mean ready-made arch constructions for 2-3000kr.
I would like to convert a door opening into a simple arch in MDF, but how to frame the arch with a nice flexible wooden molding is somewhat discouraging, any suggestions?
I would like to convert a door opening into a simple arch in MDF, but how to frame the arch with a nice flexible wooden molding is somewhat discouraging, any suggestions?
I have made an arch myself and we completely skipped moldings. However, I should have reinforced the corners about 1 meter up to withstand more, so there will be a metal strip of some kind there. If you're working in MDF for the rest, the easiest might be to make your own moldings with a router.
Moriax, I assume you want door edge molding on the wall side, i.e., curved the "wrong" way, the difficult way?
Then I suggest the following; Take a thick board, e.g., floor particleboard, draw the desired curve on it, cut out.
Then cut 5mm thick and desired width wooden strips, long enough, and enough so that their total thickness corresponds to the desired width of the finished molding. Steam them soft, bring them into the sauna, for example.
Apply urethane glue and clamp the strip package between the two molds, tighten with clamps + clamps against the workbench. Once it's dried, you have a fine piece to work further on, bevel edges, etc. If you want a profile, use the router. Then you get a curved strip in wood
Then I suggest the following; Take a thick board, e.g., floor particleboard, draw the desired curve on it, cut out.
Then cut 5mm thick and desired width wooden strips, long enough, and enough so that their total thickness corresponds to the desired width of the finished molding. Steam them soft, bring them into the sauna, for example.
Apply urethane glue and clamp the strip package between the two molds, tighten with clamps + clamps against the workbench. Once it's dried, you have a fine piece to work further on, bevel edges, etc. If you want a profile, use the router. Then you get a curved strip in wood
It's been a number of years since I bent moldings, so I don't exactly remember the times or dimensions. The principle is that you take a tube (spiro if it's wide moldings), introduce steam (I seem to recall we used a regular kettle) regulated from the ends to provide a substantial steam bath. I found it was simpler and faster than I could imagine. Above all, I thought it was really fun. But as soon as the molding cools down, it's over. Therefore, you must assemble quickly with nails/screws or clamps. Why not try on a short and thin molding in a small tube, then you can probably figure out what you need for your requirements.
You can even bend a molding just by holding it over the spout of a coffee maker for a minute while bending with even pressure. Remember to use gloves, otherwise, your hands will get hot. Experiment with wood you split with the "correct" grain direction. For thicker wood, I suggest a flexible hose/tube and a form that you gradually clamp inward. I assume you can also take several thin moldings, steam them simultaneously, and place them in a pre-made form and clamp them together. Once they have cooled, glue and clamp them again, then plane and sand down. I've never done it myself, but it should theoretically work. It might even turn out nice and unusual. It's a bit difficult to be more precise without knowing the dimensions or radii involved.
You can even bend a molding just by holding it over the spout of a coffee maker for a minute while bending with even pressure. Remember to use gloves, otherwise, your hands will get hot. Experiment with wood you split with the "correct" grain direction. For thicker wood, I suggest a flexible hose/tube and a form that you gradually clamp inward. I assume you can also take several thin moldings, steam them simultaneously, and place them in a pre-made form and clamp them together. Once they have cooled, glue and clamp them again, then plane and sand down. I've never done it myself, but it should theoretically work. It might even turn out nice and unusual. It's a bit difficult to be more precise without knowing the dimensions or radii involved.
Agree with Lurvnos. Rating the list project on a scale, MDF and plywood have a difficulty of 2 on a 5-point scale. The impressiveness factor is extremely low, about 0.1. However, if you steam wooden moldings and keep them wood-pure, the difficulty level is 3 but the impressiveness factor is about 4.0.
Thus, an excellent opportunity for masculine self-assertion, provided you're a man. If you're a woman, it's a sure way to shatter the self-esteem of your entire masculine surroundings.
Therefore, only advantages. Relatively simple. Build a jig with exact measurements. Steam a few moldings at a time. Clamp. Dry. Glue. Plane and sand, and it's done. Even nicer if you drill holes through the moldings, insert wooden plugs, and sand down. Add 0.5 to the impressiveness factor.
Where did - thumbs in suspenders, protruding chest, and the smug grin - go? Is that attitude becoming extinct?
Thus, an excellent opportunity for masculine self-assertion, provided you're a man. If you're a woman, it's a sure way to shatter the self-esteem of your entire masculine surroundings.
Therefore, only advantages. Relatively simple. Build a jig with exact measurements. Steam a few moldings at a time. Clamp. Dry. Glue. Plane and sand, and it's done. Even nicer if you drill holes through the moldings, insert wooden plugs, and sand down. Add 0.5 to the impressiveness factor.
Where did - thumbs in suspenders, protruding chest, and the smug grin - go? Is that attitude becoming extinct?
Painting Ferrari red in places that don't show doesn't quite make sense to me , but I can see that it looks impressive if a curved wooden molding is bare wood. Other moldings should also be bare wood if it’s going to make any sense. It kind of defeats the purpose if you still have to tell everyone that it's actually bent wood under the paint. On the other hand, I think unpainted pine moldings are quite ugly.
Can oak moldings be bent in the same way with good results? I'm planning to build a bar in the future, and then I could try bending a bit.
/CC
, but I can see that it looks impressive if a curved wooden molding is bare wood. Other moldings should also be bare wood if it’s going to make any sense. It kind of defeats the purpose if you still have to tell everyone that it's actually bent wood under the paint. On the other hand, I think unpainted pine moldings are quite ugly.Can oak moldings be bent in the same way with good results? I'm planning to build a bar in the future, and then I could try bending a bit.
/CC
Clearly, painting falls on its own unreasonability. The base material is directly related to the refinement work. You wouldn't put as much refinement work on a pewter jewel as you would on an equivalent in gold.
Curved Oak sounds nice. In general, it's more challenging to bend softwood than hardwood. When it comes to oak, you need to pay attention to the moisture. Steam is used only so that the wood maintains surface moisture. Otherwise, it may crack due to moisture differences in the wood. Generally, it's important to study the grain direction and knots. Core facing outwards. Steam for about 1-2 hours on a normal thick strip 10-20 mm. But experiment and see for yourself.
Curved Oak sounds nice. In general, it's more challenging to bend softwood than hardwood. When it comes to oak, you need to pay attention to the moisture. Steam is used only so that the wood maintains surface moisture. Otherwise, it may crack due to moisture differences in the wood. Generally, it's important to study the grain direction and knots. Core facing outwards. Steam for about 1-2 hours on a normal thick strip 10-20 mm. But experiment and see for yourself.
It is perfectly fine to steam oak!
Here is a great source of knowledge:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=45869&cat=1,45866,45867
See the table of wood types, oak and hickory belong to those that can be bent the most, a 1x1" oak can be curved with a radius of 2"
Certain requirements are placed on the timber, see the text.
The secret to bending wood extremely much is this;
When bending a strip, compressive forces arise on the inside, and tensile forces on the outside. Wood can withstand about 2-3% tension and compression before it collapses.
But if the wood is steamed (=bent) and smoking hot, it still only withstands 3% tension but up to 35% compression! So when bending a lot, a steel band is needed stretched on the outside of the strip to absorb the tensile forces. That way, the "outer curve" is not stretched, only the "inner curve" is compressed.
I successfully bent an oak strip, 30x8mm in a radius roughly like around a teacup, a quarter turn. This became a stair nosing in my new staircase, whose last step is rounded.
Here is a great source of knowledge:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=45869&cat=1,45866,45867
See the table of wood types, oak and hickory belong to those that can be bent the most, a 1x1" oak can be curved with a radius of 2"
Certain requirements are placed on the timber, see the text.
The secret to bending wood extremely much is this;
When bending a strip, compressive forces arise on the inside, and tensile forces on the outside. Wood can withstand about 2-3% tension and compression before it collapses.
But if the wood is steamed (=bent) and smoking hot, it still only withstands 3% tension but up to 35% compression! So when bending a lot, a steel band is needed stretched on the outside of the strip to absorb the tensile forces. That way, the "outer curve" is not stretched, only the "inner curve" is compressed.
I successfully bent an oak strip, 30x8mm in a radius roughly like around a teacup, a quarter turn. This became a stair nosing in my new staircase, whose last step is rounded.
Another method when it comes to small wood details is to use the microwave. Wrap a damp cloth around the wood. Experiment to find the right time. It is the heat that allows you to bend, but it is a matter of seconds, not minutes, that the wood is malleable.
Okay, since I neither have a sauna nor access to long metal pipes to steam bend moldings, the simple alternative remains to saw curved moldings out of an MDF board. Then the question arises, how can I best make these sawn pieces look like moldings?
Can I get suggestions and ideas?
Ideally, I would like to sand down one side significantly to create a curved edge (typical appearance of a molding). Then I would like to have a slight "groove" over about half of the molding, to give it a decorative feel. I have no idea how to achieve that without a professional woodworking machinery setup, so that might have to be skipped! I don't know what can be accomplished with a hand router, as I do not own one or have ever used one. The molding will probably be painted in a brown tone since there are no attractive wood grains to highlight with MDF, so staining is likely out of the question.
As mentioned, any ideas on how to make a sawn MDF piece look more like a decorative molding?
Can I get suggestions and ideas?
Ideally, I would like to sand down one side significantly to create a curved edge (typical appearance of a molding). Then I would like to have a slight "groove" over about half of the molding, to give it a decorative feel. I have no idea how to achieve that without a professional woodworking machinery setup, so that might have to be skipped! I don't know what can be accomplished with a hand router, as I do not own one or have ever used one. The molding will probably be painted in a brown tone since there are no attractive wood grains to highlight with MDF, so staining is likely out of the question.
As mentioned, any ideas on how to make a sawn MDF piece look more like a decorative molding?
Do you have a router mounted in a table? If so, you can make a jig that allows you to rout even curved moldings. Follow these steps: Cut the molding out of MDF. Take the outer arc of the remaining MDF board and make a straight cut tangent to the arc. You should now have two identical right-angled "triangles," where the hypotenuse is actually an arc. Remove a little in the center to make room for the router. (where the tangent met the arc) Fasten your parts to the router table's fence so that they fit with the molding. Everything should be upright. The rest should now come naturally. Gotta go,
Mattias
Mattias
One possible way to do it is to brush on ammonia. I usually use the solution you can find in the paint store (25%). The ammonia dissolves the cellulose so it becomes easy to bend. Once the ammonia has evaporated, the wood retains the new shape. However, it's not advisable to put your nose too close ;-)