Each master should know how to bend plywood if he is to trim the curvilinear structures and decor elements with its help. It is required to study the basic rules so that the material does not break when bent. The main difficulties lie in the wood structure and individual characteristics of the plate.
Material Details
Before bending plywood with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with similar products in more detail. The product is a wood board obtained by gluing fragments of prepared veneer. To improve the strength properties of the fibers are positioned so that they are perpendicular to each other.
As for the number of layers, it can vary. Most often, the sheets consist of an odd number of veneer sheets. The easiest way to work is with thin plates, but their scope is limited to decorative functions. For the arrangement of arches or the formation of volumetric structures of a rounded type, thick sheets will be required in any case, which is rather problematic to distort.
The process of soaking elements
Masters who are thinking about how to bend plywood at home without unnecessary difficulties can be offered this option. It involves keeping the sheets above the boiling water tank or placing them directly in a liquid medium. Soaking time will depend on the type of product, as well as its thickness.
The technique of keeping plates in water is more accessible and safe, therefore it is proposed to consider it in detail. However, when carrying out work, quality plywood should be used. Bad sheets can peel off quickly. Before starting soaking, it is advisable to lower a small piece of material into a container of water. If nothing happened to him, then you can dip whole fragments.
Step-by-step actions will look like this:
- The workpiece of the required size is placed in the water for a certain time. You can understand that the product is ready for further transformations by conducting regular monitoring. The stove will become malleable.
- Soaking is suspended when the desired flexibility is reached. The sheet itself moves to a convenient place to work.
- The workpiece is bent and fixed with screws in a certain position until completely dry.
In domestic conditions, it is recommended to combine humidification with steaming. With this option, only the outer layer is impregnated with water. Steam is processed at the bend point. It is best to bend sheets along wood fibers, then it will be possible to achieve the maximum effect.
Frequent bending incisions
If the question is how to bend thick plywood, then an effective way would be to create numerous recesses in the right place. To create cuts you will need a cutter. With its help, special strips are made in a certain section of the wood board.
When working, do not make deep cuts. They should reach a maximum of half the thickness of the sheet. The veneer layer on the opposite side is not allowed to be damaged. Modern boats are often made of plates rounded by this technology.
So, how to bend plywood by making cuts in it, in steps:
- Frequent cuts are formed in a specific place.
- The workpiece is given the desired shape by fixing in the required position.
- A solid veneer is glued using a PVA or epoxy compound.
- After about 24 hours, the fasteners are removed.
Cutting is best placed on the inside. When veneer is glued, voids form on top of them. During careless use of the fabricated structure, gaps may appear.
Bonding Methods for Thin Sheets
Before bending a sheet of plywood of large thickness, you should consider the option of using several plates. You can glue together a number of fragments, as bending them individually is much easier. However, when using low-quality glue, problems may arise with the product stratification already at the initial stage of operation.
First, one-piece sheets are cut to produce workpieces of suitable sizes. All fragments are manually bent and fixed to each other using epoxy glue. To avoid deformation changes, clamps are mandatory.
The final part is rubbed off from the dried glue. Possible defects are removed from its surface. At the last stage, grinding is carried out.
Some nuances
The above information makes it clear how to bend plywood in many ways. To achieve the best result, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with some of the subtleties:
- when soaking, it is allowed to bend the plates only in a state of elevated temperature, otherwise cracks may appear;
- elements that will be curved should be stored in rooms with a stable level of humidity;
- with the high cost of the purchased material, you can use the services of specialized companies.
Before bending plywood 10 mm or more, it is necessary to determine the method used. The option should be selected depending on the angle of fracture. As for products of smaller thickness, they are bent only by soaking with water or steam.
Humidification time calculation table
To determine the number of minutes required to soak the material at a temperature of 95 degrees along the fibers, you can use the data presented.
Number of layers | Thickness in millimeters | Min time |
Three | one | fifteen |
2 | 40 |
3 | 90 |
four | 180 |
Five | one | 60 |
2 | 120 |
3 | 180 |
four | 240 |
Benefits of Using Bent Plywood
The above methods make it possible to give wood slabs a smooth form. Arches, furniture and other decorative elements in this case are aesthetically attractive and mechanically resistant. Curved surfaces make it possible:
- Minimize the number of corners, so the risk of injury is greatly reduced.
- give the interior sophistication, because the eyes are more interested in smooth transitions;
- reduce the number of fasteners.
Plywood sheets are indeed a great material for finishing work and furniture production. The possibility of creating bends opens up interesting opportunities in the design field. When using bent forms stylish products and designs turn out.
About choosing a method
Knowing how to bend plywood in three main ways, each master must decide on one of them. Each of the options is not universal; it is relevant in a given situation.
Even the soaking process is not suitable for all cases. It cannot be used to make too strong bends, and besides, it takes a lot of time, especially if the thickness of the material is high enough.
Not a universal method of creating recesses for compliance sheet. It is not suitable for thin plywood. Typically, bending is done if the thickness of the plate is at least 2 cm. As for the gluing technology, then it can be considered more universal from all the listed ones. However, it does not make sense to apply it to thin sheets. It is easier to bend them immediately by soaking.
Final part
Some companies are engaged in the manufacture of products directly according to the drawings of the customer, so if you wish, you can contact them to avoid unnecessary problems. They produce high quality glued plywood with various bending radii.