Ply thickness for laminating curve

Nov 27, 2006 2 Replies

Hi!



I am going to be making some curved arms for a morris chair and will be laminating these to create the curve. The arc will be about 36" long and have a height of about 3" at the center if laid flat (both ends touching the same surface). The arm will be 1" thick.



What thickness would be appropriate for the plies that will make up the arm? I was thinking 1/4 inch plies would be sufficient to provide the flexibility necessary. Could I go thicker? Any other considerations?



Thanks!



D'ohBoy



1/4" laminations should be fine for this project.

I'd use lots of clamps, epoxy (long open time) and depending on wood chosen, you may have to allow for some spring back.

Be patient, leave in clamps at least 48 hours.

Have fun.

Lew

I agree - 1/4" should be good. I've heard that Weldwood Plastic Resin glue is supposed to be ideal for laminations, but I haven't tried it. Search the archives here for more info. Are you going to use edgebanding or something to hide the visible laminated edges? You might try a small test piece to see how visible the layers are. Good luck, Andy

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