# Bending Wood for Dining Room Chairs



## dlately (Feb 23, 2008)

Hi everyone,

My wife, who very likely grossly overestimates my skill, has asked me to make dining room chairs. 


My question is, for the top rail on the back of the chair, should I bandsaw that piece out of thick stock to get the curve required, or should I bend wood? It will be 3/4" oak. I've never bent wood before, but bending seems more...craftsmany.

And how hard can it be, right?


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

How hard can it be? Ha! That depends on what wood you're using, what thickness, what kind of radius you want, whether the wood is air dried or kiln dried....
You can cut it out of thicker stock, if it's not too much of a radius. Or you can cut thin pieces and laminate them together around a form. Some advantages of this method are that you can bend them 'cold'. No need for steaming. You can get reasonably matched curves due to the form. If you select your wood for straight, clear grain, you can virtually eliminate the potential for fracturing when bent. Again, depending on your radius. And you can use a final thickness that is thin, yet strong, due to the laminations. 
But, I'm sure there will be advocates for steam-bending who will throw in their views on it. Good luck.


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## dpmcreations (Feb 3, 2008)

*Well....*

That is really a loaded question... As MM Wood stated, there are many variable factors to that answer... You can use stock and soak/steam it, but most people tend to create a form and bend wood using the lamination technique.. Make sure that you try and find wood that is straight and clean... Make your form and when you resaw it on a bandsaw or other saw, try and keep the matching pieces together so you have a really good matching piece once completed... That is jsut a few of the factors, and we could go on and on.. So a little more information and we all may be able to help you more... Good luck and happy bending....


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## dlately (Feb 23, 2008)

Thanks, guys, for the advice. I'll try to provide a little more info.

The curve is pretty gentle, I guess a radius of 3 feet. Should be no problem for 3/4 oak, right? I don't have the wood yet, but it will very likely be air-, not kiln-dried.

I'm sure I could laminate instead of steaming. Is that generally less hassle? It seems to me, although I've never done either, that steaming would be less hassle overall. 

I was planning to make a very strong form, steam the piece until it's plastic, and just clamp that sucker in there. I'm afraid, though, that it just won't bend, or it will break, or I'll put my eye out somehow.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

If I had a choice, and available stock, I would cut out of solid stock. My second choice would be a glued up lamination. My last choice is steam/soak bending. I've gotten unpredictable spring back, and movement activity depending on temperature and moisture. FWIW.


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## jerry (Nov 1, 2006)

I agree solid stock if possible.

Regards

Jerry


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## JON BELL (Nov 2, 2007)

Laminates and a bending form are more craftsmanzie.Fun experience:laughing:and opens up a door for future projects.
I'm a little late to the chat.If it's already done,what did you do?


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## dlately (Feb 23, 2008)

Well, life seems to be getting in the way. I haven't done a thing yet.

Based on the advice in this forum, though, I think I'll cut rather than bend the wood. That also gives me an excuse to buy a bandsaw!!

Thanks everybody, the advice is much appreciated.


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## JON BELL (Nov 2, 2007)

Or an excuse to buy a vaccum press:thumbsup:


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