HELP: Best way to make curved molding and top for headboard

[Greg]

SWMBO wants a headboard for our new bed. She wants one like this

top is a wider board with a curve with curved molding under that. I've never done anything like this. Is it better to cut this curve out of a large board or to cold bend thin stock? Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks, Greg

[Bridger]

I don't think you will succeed cold bending a molding that wide. I'd saw the inside curve, then cut the detail with one or more router bits, then saw the outside curve and apply the resulting piece to the headboard. Bridger

[Dan]

On Mon 29 Dec 2003 11:22:15p, Bridger wrote in news: [e-mail]:

My son-in-law's brother built them a bed for a wedding present. It has a molding like that, cold bent, and it's popping up on one side.

I'd consider laminate bending like Norm and David Marks have done; several layers of thin stock with slow setting glue on a form, or I'd end-join boards at angles with splines, like David did with those mirror projects.

Anything to make sure there's absolutely no pressure on the wood to spring back. 'Cause it *will* spring back.

Oh, and remember what that bed is made of: "Constructed of wood solids and wood veneers with a distressed washed pine finish." That's how THEY did that molding. It's really molded. :-) Gonna need to run out and buy a factory to duplicate that one. I'd settle for similar.

Dan

[Bruce]

There was a version of David Marks show Woodworks that covered bending laminates very well.

[Daniel Martin]

I have the exact same bed. The head board moulding is not bent, its routed from a one piece of wood. It could be a shaper but its one piece. I checked since I want to duplicate the same bed and make it look better.

Daniel