Help with Wood Working

[wiartonwillie]

I am restoring a 1950's Camper Trailer and I need some help with this problem.
I need to bend a piece of 1/4 plywood to fit the radius of the end of the trailer.
I do not have a steamer, does anyone have any ideas that will make bending it easier. I have heard of kerfing the back. Has anyone had any experience with this.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

Yes, but would be quite tricky on 1/4". You might try making a jig for bending and then get a steam machine like this to introduce the steam.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005SI8YZC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[kd3pc]

steamer would be easiest...you can use the bathtub and hot shower, if the piece is not too thick or too large, let it go for quite a while, bend it to shape, rope it in shape and set aside to dry.

next would be to use multiple, thin sheets (they bend easier) of plywood, to build a laminated assembly, I use west system epoxy between the sheets. Similarly, you can use sheets of veneer and contact cement, but it is more difficult to work.

lastly would be shallow kerfs, but they do weaken things....so when you get it cut, and shaped, you almost need to go back with epoxy and filler. When using kerf, I almost always have a plug mold or buck shaped like the finished panel...this helps to prevent the breakage and lets the filler set up. In the absence of epoxy, I have had some limited success with bondo or fiberglass.

All the best

 

[rcktsled]

Several manufacturers make "bending plywood" which is meant for situations like this. Columbia Forest Products makes a plywood called Radius which can be bent to a 12" radius. You would, of course, have to find a specialty wood supplier who carries it.

 

[rcktsled]

Hey I just noticed you are in Ontario. Me too. You can special order Radius from Home Depot but you have to find a competent associate to find it in their special order catalogs.

 

[RivennHewn]

Pics would help

 

[wiartonwillie]

http://s1314.photobucket.com
Here is the trailer, I am working on the rear end lower radius.

 

[Kurt4440]

Wiggle Wood

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

http://s1314.photobucket.com
Here is the trailer, I am working on the rear end lower radius.

When you link it like that I see my Photobucket and not yours.

 

[cdestuck]

If you have access to a good table saw, you can raise the blade to cut to a depth of 1/8". With the good face of the plywood facing up, run the plywood over the blade, pressing down on it with another piece of wood to insure the blade is cutting in its 1/8'' depth. Do this across the width of the plywood every 1/2'' or so. This will allow the plywood to match your curve

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

With 1/4" plywood I would get the thinnest blade possible to do that .

 

[southalabama]

I'd be more inclined to find a specialty plywood as others have mentioned above. Cutting kerfs in a quarter inch ply would be my last choice.

 

[Wood'nMetal]

Are you sure you need 1/4 ply? Most campers/RV's would use 3/16" luan on the interior or exterior. Easily bendable!

 

[Regnar]

You could always go with sheet metal, spray adhesive and veneer.

 

[66dave]

I use to repair RV's in high school (mid 90's) most were the 3/16 lain as wood n metal stated. Should bend easy enough, if not you could wet it and bend it, once dry (yeah it will take a bit for it to dry) it should be good to go. We would let it sit overnight then use it.

 

[HMCFab9]

They do make bendable plywood. Might be hard to find though.

 

[mtnwalton]

As a few others mentioned, bending plywood is the way to go. It's about 3/8"; comes in barrel and column styles. There should be a lumber co in most cities that carry it. About $40 a sheet.

 

[nicksnothereman]

I am restoring a 1950's Camper Trailer and I need some help with this problem.
I need to bend a piece of 1/4 plywood to fit the radius of the end of the trailer.
I do not have a steamer, does anyone have any ideas that will make bending it easier. I have heard of kerfing the back. Has anyone had any experience with this.

Water and a heat gun would probably work but will take a long time.

You'll have to pre-form the wood outside of the trailer and set up something to push the correct angle into the wood in place using the same process to bend.

I think that would work.

Couldn't you just use a "wood product"? I don't know if they make it in panel size but I've used the wavy gravy before. I don't know what it's called maybe mdf?

 

[Voi]

I need to bend a piece of 1/4 plywood to fit the radius of the end of the trailer.
I do not have a steamer, does anyone have any ideas that will make bending it easier. I have heard of kerfing the back. Has anyone had any experience with this.

If you already have plywood you're using elsewhere in the project I would just cut shallow kerfs or V grooves and fill with epoxy like a previous poster mentioned.

I've cut kerfs in plywood with a router, table saw or circular saw. Don't believe anything thinner than 1/2" but 1/4" shouldn't be a problem.

If you're buying plywood for just the curved sections then I'd look into some of the bendable varieties, although I don't know much about them.

 

[chamoisfive]

Have a look on this site, there is a ton of info available on what you are trying to achieve. Introduce yourself, and they'd welcome you & your little project with ease:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=57

Have you got any accessible pics of your project? Your link didn't work for me. The above linked forum people LOVE pics