Thin plank bending (edge bending)

D

Dcox1961

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Sorry I don't know the terminology (edge bending?). I want to bend second hull layer planks .6x5mm not in the direction of the fibers but perpendicular to them. So if they are laying flat on the wide side I'd like a curve in them. Hope this makes sense.

Any tips on doing this would be appreciated. A video would be great as I am a visual guy.

I've seen the hot air gun trick and that works great for bending with the grain and even thicker stock. but these thin pieces are a PITA to bend in that direction.

Thanks.
 
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OK This is the easiest way I found so far. I wet the wood with hot tap water and then used my wife's iron (with her permission) to steam it flat. If there is an easier way I'd love to hear from you all. It holds it shape well when removed from the clamps.
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A plank or board with nails or screws driven into it in the approximate shape you are trying to achieve works great for bending the way you are trying to do it. That's how I do all my " flat-edge " bending. The occasional clamp to keep your stock flat to the surface will probably be necessary as the wood tends to resist being bent this way. Of course you will need to soak it for awhile ( at least 2 hrs.) before bending. Hope this helps. Good luck.
 
This is what I was using yesterday to bend the top rails on my current build. Soaking in hot water as usual, a bit of heat gun and then left until today to dry out thoroughly. I've got both sides of the rail bent together.

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I use the same method as Sulaire. However, there is a limit to the amount of bend the fibres will take before breaking and it depends on the type of wood, so you may want to do it in a couple of stages if the curve is extreme. Experiment with it and let us know how you get on.
 
Dcox1961 said:
OK This is the easiest way I found so far. I wet the wood with hot tap water and then used my wife's iron (with her permission) to steam it flat. If there is an easier way I'd love to hear from you all. It holds it shape well when removed from the clamps.
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Try using a hairdryer it works for me no water
 
Tommy said:
Try using a hairdryer it works for me no water
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Yes I use a Heat gun to bend and it works wonderful on thicker stock, the problem is on the .5x5mm planks using a heat gun makes them wavy (not flat) when trying to edge bend, a iron so far keeps them pressed flat while bending. If you have a good way to keep them flat with a heat gun I'd love to hear it.
 
Thought I'd share what I'm doing at the mo - the top rail is bent as in my post above and then to get as near as possible to the exact shape I put a piece of card on the boat and draw the shape underneath.
P1040440.JPG
I then stick the card to a piece of wood, soak the planks again and then follow the pencil line, fixing the planks down as I go
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I'm a picture framer by trade and these thingies are called 'canvas off-sets' - they are cheap(ish), come in various depths and are very useful for all sorts of jobs. They hold the planks down and minimise the waviness. I then either heat gun it or leave it to dry overnight or a bit of both. There's still a bit of misshaping but that will be sanded and smoothed.
P1040442.JPGP1040443.JPG
 
Thank You Sulaire those look like 1.5mm thick planks my question is regarding .5mm planks. I have no issue edge bending the thicker stock.
 
I use Dcox and Sulaire's method. Also, if the bend isn't extreme, sometimes an electric plank bender will do the job. If you have an extreme angle, it might not be a bad idea to get some thin ply and cut the piece you need.
 
For these very thin planks I use thick CA glue and shape them dry, directly on the hull.
See below my Royal Caroline on which I worked like this. Due to the very thin veneer strips I found no other solutiin the this, they are too thin for conventional methodes.
20200206_164037.jpg
 
I described the process I learned for plank bending in my Nelson build log. You can reach it with the link in my signature below. The method I’ve adopted requires no soaking, simply running a wet finger over the wood is enough, It can also be done quickly, a minute or so per plank. There is do twisting, lifting, or warping.

However one thing I notice in your photos, the planks do have to be tapered to fit. It’s simple geometry, there is less room at the bow than midship. To have the same number of planks you have to measure and taper each plank, often you have to also taper at the stern.
 
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I think bending in 2 directions works fine with all the methods described such as steaming or soaking. However, when you put the 3rd direction bend, the plank edge wants to lift. The best way to prevent this is to taper the plank so it doesn't need to bend in that edge-direction.
Guy
 
Dcox1961 said:
Sorry I don't know the terminology (edge bending?). I want to bend second hull layer planks .6x5mm not in the direction of the fibers but perpendicular to them. So if they are laying flat on the wide side I'd like a curve in them. Hope this makes sense.

Any tips on doing this would be appreciated. A video would be great as I am a visual guy.

I've seen the hot air gun trick and that works great for bending with the grain and even thicker stock. but these thin pieces are a PITA to bend in that direction.

Thanks.
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Here is a picture of a jig I built. I have used it to even put a s shape in wood. I set the pins to the curve I need and then clamp the wet wood in the fixture and let it dry. You need to bend a little more than you need due to spring back. But it works very well. If you don’t have pins use golf tees
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I like all methods described. I've used most of them. I stick to a hair roller or heat gun for heat source. They all seem to work.
 
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