The
Complete Manual of Wood Bending
Milled, laminated and steam-bent
work
by Lon Schleining
Softcover
215 x 280mm
208pp
Published by Linden Publishing, Fresno California USA
R.R.P.$39.90
ISBN 0-941936-54-6
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 131
Many woodworkers are a little uncomfortable when dealing with curved components that go beyond those that can be easily cut out on a bandsaw.
Lon Schleining's book is designed to provide the additional information and advice needed to tackle such tasks with confidence.
The layout of the book is unusual. It begins with A Quick Guide to Curving Wood which is actually an extended list of Contents. First of all, there is a description of the three essential methods of achieving a desired curvature in wood - cutting from solid timber, using glued laminations and steam bending - together with a list of their advantages and disadvantages.
Following this is an introduction to the other four Parts of the book: (1) Design, Planning, Drawing, (2) Milling Parts from Solid Timber, (3) Lamination-Bending, (4) Steam-Bending and (5) Combining Techniques & Other Methods. The introductions go well beyond a simple list of topics, however, and provide a set of reference notes to which the reader may refer when confronted with a new project.
The individual Parts of the book make absorbing reading. Based on Schleining's 20 years of building wooden staircases, wooden boats and furniture (as well as being a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking), each Part covers the production of curved wood, broken into techniques, tooling and materials.
Where necessary, the author's practical approach is backed by theory. The many jigs are described in detail, often with reasons for their design and selection, and the descriptions given for their use are carefully detailed.
Part (5) includes instructions for making a curved, raised panel cabinet door by the coopering method. It may be an indication of the thoroughness of the book that having read thus far, the project looks easy!
Illustrations: Black & White
Units of Measurement: Imperial
Contents
Introduction
A Quick Guide to Curved Wood
Part
One: Design, Planning, Drawing
-
Why spend time designing and planning?
- Working drawings and the case for
full scale
- The process of full-scale drawing
- Drawing curves
- Understanding
different types of curves
- Drawing curves using offsets
Part
Two: Milling Parts from Solid Lumber
- Advantages of milling
- Disadvantages
of milling
- Solid-stock milling options
- Essential tool - the band saw
-
Essential tool - the router
- Essential tool - the router table
- Router
tables vs shapers
- Essential tool - the shaper
- Other jigs and fixtures
-
Cutting a curve with a flush-cutting bit
- Milling a 190 or 90 degree elbow
Part
Three: Lamination-Bending
- Advantages of bent lamination
- Disadvantages
of bent lamination
- Principle of bent lamination
- Determining the thickness
of the layers
- Coping with springback
- The bending form
- Clamps for
lamination bending
- Veneers vs. milled laminates
- Glues for lamination
bending
- Working with glue
- Clamped curved panels with a vacuum bag
-
Troubleshooting a failed lamination bend
Part
Four: Steam Bending
- Bending theory
- Advantages of steam bending
-
Disadvantage of steam bending
- Getting a feel for bending
- Heating the
wood
- Why do bends fail?
- Bending variables
- Steam-box equipment
-
Forms
- Types of compression straps
- Hot-pipe bending
Part
Five: Combining Techniques & Other Methods
- Steam-bent laminates glued
and re-bent
- Steam-bent and milled solid lumber
- Kerf-bending
- Coopered
panels
- Making a curved raised-panel cabinet door
Reference
Appendix
1: Machine Safety
Appendix 2: Glossary
Appendix 3: Sources of Supply
Index