Often the creative jobs you do with wood at home don't just require flat surfaces and 90-degree angles. Learning how to bend plywood is an important first step if you plan to create a product that will have curved, rounded or shaped surfaces. Each method of folding plywood has its positive and negative sides.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Choose the best approach
Step 1. Use the notch kerfing method when the inside of the fold will not be visible and the plywood will not be subjected to particular forces
- This is a quick and easy way to bend plywood.
- This method is suitable only when the concave (or inner) side of the fold is either not visible or is subsequently laminated.
- The notch weakens the plywood and therefore should only be used where the folded surface will not have to bear weight. For example, carving is not a suitable method for bending plywood to make a skateboard ramp.
Step 2. When both sides of the plywood should be visible, consider steam bending the plywood
- The steam makes it possible to obtain a finished object that is more resistant than a carved one.
- This system requires the creation of a steam chamber and a shape or shape. It also takes much longer to complete the job than carving, and it also requires special attention to avoid combustion and fires.
Step 3. When the strength of the final object is a requirement, consider laminating and folding many thin strips of plywood
As with steam, laminating many thin strips to be glued requires the construction of a shape or a template. It also requires more time for carving and a wider and more assorted tooling, but it will allow to obtain the most resistant result ever
Method 2 of 5: Make a series of cuts
Step 1. On the plywood take the measurement and mark the points where the fold should start and end
Step 2. Check that there are no knots on both sides between these two marks
A knot, particularly if located on the finished side (the one on which no cuts will be made), will most likely result in failure when the plywood is folded.
Step 3. On the circular saw set the depth of cut to about half or 2/3 the thickness of the plywood
Step 4. Using a square or ruler, make a series of notches (grooves) approximately every 6mm on the back side of the plywood
Step 5. Fold the wood and lock it into the desired shape
Step 6. Fill the carvings with wood glue
If the notches will no longer be accessible once the plywood has been folded and locked in place, you can fill them in before folding the wood as well.
Method 3 of 5: Steam bend the plywood
Step 1. Choose a knotless plywood panel
Step 2. Construct a template by cutting the pleat profile with a jigsaw on several pieces of MDF (medium density fiberboard) or similar materials
Pair and stick these pieces together until they are thick enough for your template.
Step 3. Make a steam room
For some more details see also Legnofilia.
Step 4. Lay the plywood on the supports inside the steam chamber
Step 5. Turn on the heat source and allow the wood to steam for about 1 hour for every 2.5cm of thickness
Step 6. Put on heavy work gloves, then remove the plywood from the steam chamber and immediately fold it over the template
Use clamps to clamp the plywood to the template.
Step 7. Leave the plywood clamped onto the template until it is completely dry
Method 4 of 5: Laminating many thin strips of plywood
Step 1. Construct a template following the directions already given for steam bent plywood
Step 2. Get a thin panel of plywood, eg 5.2mm birch
Step 3. Cut enough strips from the panel that you can mate them on top of each other until you reach the desired thickness
Step 4. Shape the strips and decide the spacing of the clamps
- Stack the strips loosely and secure them with the clamps, placing the first one in the center of the stack.
- Add the other clamps by moving from the center towards the two ends of the stack.
- Use as many clamps as necessary to eliminate any space between the plywood and the template. This process shapes the plywood strips in such a way that they will bend more easily during the final folding process.
Step 5. Remove the clamps
Step 6. Choose a long lasting glue (such as polyurethane glue or urea glue)
Step 7. Spread the glue on each strip of plywood covering its entire surface
Step 8. Couple the strips and clamp them to the template in the same way you put them in shape previously
Step 9. Leave the plywood clamped with the clamps until the glue has dried
The time varies according to the type of glue used.
Step 10. Cut or sand the edges of the finished piece to remove any excess glue and to achieve the desired final finish
Method 5 of 5: Soften the plywood with water
Step 1. Leave the plywood submerged in water for approximately 2 hours
Or better yet, until it has softened.
Step 2. Clamp the softened plywood in a bench vise
