In construction, as well as apartment renovations, plywood is used only for making floors and reusable formwork - at least this happens in most cases. It's no secret that there are exceptions to any rule, and it may happen that it becomes necessary to make complex decorations with radius bends from plywood. In such a situation, you will certainly have to face the question of how to bend plywood? Together with the site, we will look at ways to bend plywood yourself at home.
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How to bend plywood: important points you need to know
The very first thing you need to understand when approaching the question of how to bend plywood is that this material is very stubborn, and in order to twist plywood into a ram’s horn, you will have to work hard. In principle, everything is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance - in some cases this process can even turn out to be quite simple.
That's one thing. In addition to the above, when approaching the question of how to bend plywood at home, you should also know other things. For example, despite its apparent strength, plywood is a fragile material, and if you start bending it without preliminary flirting, it will probably break. Alternatively, cracks and delaminations will appear on the front layers, which will greatly spoil the appearance of what you are doing. Even in factory conditions, the plywood bending process is preceded by preparatory work. In principle, preparation is the methods of bending the material, which we will talk about later.
How to bend plywood with your own hands: various options
By and large, there are not so many options for bending plywood at home - just a couple. The first method is used for small-format blanks (narrow strips up to 30 cm wide), and the second option can be used for large sheets. Let's talk about them in a little more detail.
In both cases, it is advisable to pre-prepare a template - this is, first of all, the accuracy of bending and, secondly, a guarantee that you will not bend the product. Bending plywood back is not a very pleasant and thankless task, fraught with the appearance of cracks and breaks.
Bent plywood: what is it and what is it used for
Another option for making bent plywood is the technology of gluing thin fragments - instead of bending a thick sheet, you bend thin plywood, and then glue them together, achieving the required thickness of the material. This is bent plywood - according to many craftsmen, this is the best option for self-made radial products made from this material. Yes, bending thin sheets is not difficult, but...
In addition, experience in carrying out work of this kind is required. Gluing plywood is not the same as patching a hole in a camera. You need special glue and so on. In general, this technology is not very suitable for one-time work due to high costs on various devices and templates. Whatever one may say, but the most the best option To solve the question of how to bend plywood 10 mm or more, the method of technological cuts remains - at least it allows you to do without precise templates.
And in conclusion to the topic of how to bend plywood, there is only one thing left to add - or rather, not even to add, but to once again state the fact that this is not a very rewarding task and, most importantly, labor-intensive. There is no reason to mess with him for the sake of one detail. It's another matter if you want to set up mass production, for example, of pioneer drums or arches standard form. They are already in fashion here and not every company involved in their production can offer people affordable prices. Although, having tried to make one similar product, you will understand why its price cannot be cheap.
You can make many useful things from plywood: furniture, various stands, etc. But in order for all this to be complete and beautiful view, it is advisable to give homemade things different shapes, including round ones. Then the question arises: is it possible and how to bend plywood yourself? To answer it, you need to know existing methods and technologies for this process. How to do this work yourself will be discussed below.
Plywood can accept various geometric shapes, for this it is enough to know the technology and some strict rules of this process.
Peculiarities
Bending plywood requires heat and moisture. It is also possible to use the dry method of changing the shape of wood. These methods are applicable to plywood of various thicknesses, but it must be taken into account that the thicker the material, the more time it takes to obtain the desired result. The scope of application of bent plywood is quite wide - from construction work(making the base for the arches, cladding spiral staircases etc.) before the production of bent furniture.
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Plywood selection
Because this material made by gluing thin layers of wood that are located in different directions, this increases the bending resistance. Therefore, to work you need to take thin plywood- it has fewer layers. In factories they bend it on special machines, using it to obtain the desired shape matrices. The material is given the necessary elasticity by pre-treating it with steam.
At home, when renovating an apartment, structures that have a rounded shape are often needed (for example, when constructing an arch). You can make them yourself from bent plywood. If the technology is followed, it is possible to obtain a high-quality product, despite the use of improvised means.
Plywood is sold at construction markets and in specialized supermarkets of the same profile. You need to choose a flexible material that is available with a thickness of 3-4 mm. It is usually used to create arches in doorways. After processing, a part made of such material is secured to the frame using screws. Recently, similar Chinese-made plywood has appeared on the market, which combines reasonable price and required quality. There are several methods that are used to create bent structures:
- steaming;
- gluing;
- cuts;
- various combinations of the above methods.
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Heating plywood
This process can be carried out using the following methods:
The cutting method is suitable for plywood, the inside of which will be closed.
- using superheated steam;
- immersing the material in hot water (liquid temperature - 60°C);
- soaking in warm liquid (this increases the working time by 20 times and is rarely used).
If it is not possible to bend the plywood using these methods, then you can try to do without heating, using epoxy glue for the work.
For the first method, some craftsmen create steam using a boiling kettle, and sometimes use an iron. But since the steam supply must be constant, the steam in the right quantity It is quite difficult to obtain at home, so we will focus on the second method of obtaining bent plywood.
Hot water should be poured into any open container - a bath is good for this. Its volume allows you to make bent parts of a fairly large size. The plywood blank is immersed in hot water for 30-40 minutes. During this time, the wood is steamed to the required amount. Wet material easily changes its shape, but it must be taken into account that if it is necessary to bend at a large angle, then this process will have to be done in several stages: first, the wood is bent at a small angle, then the part is immersed in hot water. After 30 minutes, the process is repeated, increasing the bend, and so on, until the desired result is obtained. It is also necessary to take into account the factor that in very hot water the material may delaminate. If the plywood is very thin, then 4-6 minutes may be enough to steam it. Sometimes this method is used: they iron the moistened workpiece with a heated iron and immediately after that give it the required shape. Then they are moistened again and ironed with a heated iron.
There is often no way to process a large sheet of plywood with steam at home. Then, to obtain the desired result, cuts are made in it in the form of strips shaped like a cone. For this work, manual electric tool with a cutter attached to it.
These cuts must be made carefully, otherwise chips may occur in the material.
After steam treatment, plywood retains its strength at bend points.
For plywood 4-5 mm thick, the depth of such cuts should be no more than 2 mm, and their number depends on the steepness of the required bend radius - the larger it is, the more numerous the number of cuts themselves.
After this, the plywood is clamped onto the template. A strip of veneer is glued onto the outer layer of the material. To do this, you need to take epoxy glue (you can also use PVA). The part dries in about 24 hours. The result is a hollow workpiece that can withstand fairly large loads.
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Workpiece fastening
To ensure the stability of the resulting plywood shape, it must be secured. This work can be done in the following ways:
- a heavy object is placed at the bend site, the ends are tied together with a rope and supports are installed under them;
- the part is secured in the template using cord, tape or rope.
In the first case, everything is clear, but you will need to constantly monitor the structure, since the plywood may move slightly away from the desired angle when cooling. In the second case, in the form of a template, you can use any design with bending angles that need to be obtained again created part. Most often, a homemade template made from fiberboard is used. If an arch is being made, then the steamed wood can be directly installed in place by clamping it in the opening with screws.
Plywood has the greatest strength, bent method gluing.
You can use a steel template to secure the plywood. It is bent along with the wood. This technique is used for the manufacture of large-sized parts with complex shape. The steel strip is attached to the plywood before immersion in the bath begins. Then it is bent together with a sheet of material. This template is removed only after the plywood has completely dried.
When used to secure a load, you must try to ensure that it is equal in width to the sheet of material. If this is not the case, then only that part that is equal to the width of the load will be bent. Such methods are applicable only for plywood with a thickness of less than 2 cm. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that different varieties trees have different ability flexion (extension). Satisfactory results are obtained when using plywood made from walnut, ash and beech. It is not recommended to use sheets of larch, oak or maple material for such work. Typically, wood can be stretched by 1.5-2.5% and compressed by 25-33%.
– this is the material that you cannot do without in the construction and repair sectors. It is also used in furniture production. But sometimes there is a need to obtain a curved plywood sheet. Of course, you can contact a company where, with the help special equipment and using a certain technology they will produce a curved part for you. You can do this yourself. We offer several proven methods that will help you bend plywood at home.
Methods for obtaining bending of plywood
There are several of the most proven ways to bend plywood material. However, when different options When obtaining a bend, some points need to be taken into account. In cases where an arch is required, plywood is chosen with a thickness of at least 10 mm. And this is already quite a thick puff pastry. From this we can conclude that what thinner material, the easier it is to influence it, and, as a result, the plywood bends more easily.
Today, there are three main methods for bending a plywood sheet:
- steaming;
- incision;
- gluing.
Each method is good and effective in its own way. But you can also use a combination, which will ultimately result in more rigid bent structures. Let's first try to analyze each of the three technologies.
Steaming plywood
In industrial production, the steaming method is often used to bend plywood. It consists of exposing the source material to steam, after which the plywood is placed in an installation where a press is applied to it. Under the influence of a special vice, the material is bent to the desired radius of curvature.
At home, it will be more difficult to carry out the steaming procedure. This will require the presence of very large containers in which water must boil. Plywood in in this case Simply fix it over the containers, and the steam itself will do its job.
An alternative to steaming is to soak the plywood sheet in water. You can use a bath for this. However, there are some nuances here too.
Firstly, the duration of soaking will directly depend on the thickness of the material, as well as on the direction in which the bend is required.
Secondly, the process of soaking the plywood in more warm water will last much faster. So, for example, at a water temperature of up to 90-100 degrees, the soaking time can be 1.5-3 hours, at a water temperature of up to 60 degrees almost twice as long, in cool water (15-30 degrees) even longer - 15- 20 times.
When the steaming or soaking time has been maintained for as long as necessary, the plywood can be bent, but only across the grain. To do this, attach the workpiece to a template, fix it in the desired position and wait until the material dries completely. It will be much more effective to combine both methods.
Notching plywood
This method also helps to achieve the desired curvature of the sheet. Moreover, the thickness of the plywood can be from 15 to 20 mm. The bending method is as follows: in those places where bending is planned, small cuts are made using a cutter. The cuts should be a depth not exceeding half the thickness of the sheet, otherwise the material may simply break. It is also important that the cuts do not reach the dowel layer in the opposite direction.
The width of the cuts on different sides of the plywood can be different. This allows you to get the following result: on one side the bending angle is smaller, on the other – larger. Using this technique, many people bend plywood to create the walls of a boat. And to fix the resulting shape, the plywood is clamped and a layer of veneer is glued on top.
In this case, the glue used is epoxy, although it is quite possible to use PVA glue.
Gluing parts
This method involves taking a thin sheet of plywood and cutting it into individual pieces. They make a pattern and use it to connect the elements to obtain the desired shape. To do this, epoxy glue is applied to the joining points, the parts are glued together and fixed. You can use clamps to clamp the gluing areas. The finished product should dry for about a day, after which it can be used. To prevent joints and irregularities from being visible on the workpiece, it is subjected to grinding.
Plywood sheets are widely used in finishing and construction. They have unique properties. Using them you can create almost any shape. Thanks to this, it became possible to create original designs and more efficient use of building materials.
Below we will write exactly how you can get bent plywood with your own hands and in production.
If you decide bend plywood with your own hands, then you can do the following:
- Glue together several thin plywood sheets using wood glue.
- Bend the sheets yourself into the desired position.
- Fix the position along the edges of the sheets with epoxy mortar.
- Wait until the sheets dry.
The method is good, but do not forget that only thin veneer is used for it. Ready-made sheets of thick plywood will not suit you in this case.
How to bend plywood after it dries
Thin sheets of plywood bend just like that. But thicker sheets must pass first pre-treatment to become much softer and more flexible. Only then can the plywood sheet be bent.
The following types of plywood sheets are processed:
After this treatment, you can bend the plywood as follows:
Using the above methods, you can give plywood sheets smooth shapes.
They will remain in their position even after complete drying. Thanks to these methods, the production of arches for and rounded shapes the walls became very light.
In construction and manufacturing bent plywood provides the following advantages:
- Thanks to the monolithic nature of the finished structure, you can get rid of the burden of fixation parts. The strength and reliability of the finished structure increases significantly.
Plywood is great construction material. The sheets are suitable for both finishing and the production of bent plywood products.
Their cost and high technical qualities made the sheets worthy rivals to simple wood.
A distinctive feature is that plywood sheets have a high ability to bend into various shapes, which wood cannot boast of.
Due to this, your
Plywood is made up of slabs of natural veneer glued together and is one of the most common lumber today. This popularity is due to its high strength and, at the same time, ease of processing. Its use has found application in furniture production, construction, shipbuilding, design and other industries. One of the most important properties of plywood is its ability to change shape as a result of bending. This process seems complicated only at first glance, but even a non-specialist can master how to bend plywood.
Advantages of plywood
The material is not afraid of high humidity and changes in ambient temperature. In addition, it is distinguished following features, talking about undeniable advantages over natural wood in some cases:
- high strength;
- durability and wear resistance;
- ease of processing and installation;
- combined with other building materials;
- There are no cracks, including through ones.
The main differences between lumber are related to the type of wood from which they are made, therefore, when purchasing material, it is necessary to take into account the subsequent scope of its application.
Classification
Speaking about the classification of material such as plywood, it should be noted that there are four grades of this lumber.
- The first grade is the best. However, it is also the most expensive. It is distinguished by a minimum of flaws and deformations.
- A second grade product allows for minor defects such as cracks and knots.
- The third grade is distinguished by the presence of numerous defects, both of the wood itself and of the lumber itself, such as leakage of the adhesive layer and the presence of inserts.
- Fourth grade lumber is suitable only for the manufacture of packaging containers. However, it is also the cheapest, as it has the largest number of various defects.
Flexibility of plywood
Plywood has a very high flexural strength coefficient. For this reason, bending is one of the main processing methods. Bent plywood is widely used in products.
The ease of bending a plywood sheet directly depends on its thickness. Thin sheets are easier to bend, thick sheets are more difficult. In this case, the material bends better along the fibers than across, and the bending angle in this case is the largest. We will look at how to bend plywood in the production of various products below. Currently, several methods for this technological process are known.
Method using heating or steaming
Before bending the sheet, it must be thoroughly heated using steam. A steam iron or a tank of boiling water may be suitable for this. If necessary, the sheet can be impregnated hot water. Processing time directly depends on the thickness of the material and the temperature of the steam or boiling water. However, steaming for too long can lead to the destruction of the adhesive layer and delamination of the plywood.
Having steamed the sheet, it is bent in the desired configuration, after which this position is fixed with any available material, for example, rope. The sheet is fixed until completely dry and takes the desired shape.
Method by sawing and notching
This method is used when the thickness of the plywood sheet does not exceed 22 mm. It consists of creating conical cuts on the surface of the material with a depth of no more than half the thickness of the sheet. It is advisable to do them using milling machine, since another method may lead to cracks and splits.
Having made the necessary cuts, we bend and fix the sheet, treat the surface with glue and apply a sheet of veneer. Leave the product in this position for 24 hours.
Bonding method
Before bending plywood in this way, a pattern is made. Next, the sheet is bent along it, smeared with glue and a new sheet of plywood is applied. In this case, the directions of the fibers should alternate. Having glued the layers, we fix them with clamps and leave them for about a day. After this, the workpiece is subject to the grinding process. This is done in order to remove any remaining glue and give the product a beautiful appearance.
It should be noted that after processing, products should not be stored in damp areas.
There are cases when you can use special thin (3-4 mm) plywood, specifically designed for bending. It is used in the production of products such as arches in doorways.
How to bend sheets of plywood without a machine
