Curved-corner partitions

[adwriter73]

I'm building new walls for the bathroom and would really like to create rounded corners. Has any one done this?

I found MDF cabinet corners at Tapeease.com

CABINET CORNERS

I thought I could use these with plywood and then veneer the whole thing to give it a finished, unified look.

This seems "easy" in my head, but I wanted to get some advice before I start. I'm sure there are things I am not considering.

If someone has a much simplified idea for this, I am totally open to suggestions.

[VIKING]

http://www.aitwood.com/images/pdf/CurvedPly2008.pdf
Here's another supplier for components for cabinetry. The mdf corners are weak. if you can use a curved plywood part instead it will be much stronger.

Rich the Viking

[Splitrock]

I think Outwater has curved corners too. I'd probably just use bendable plywood.

[adwriter73]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

I think Outwater has curved corners too. I'd probably just use bendable plywood.

I don't know that you can bend it to a 90 degree angle, can you?

[Minno]

Bendable plywood typically comes in 2 thicknesses - 1/8" and 1/4". For tight curves, the 1/8" thick is better. Drawback is bendable plywood is harder to find and comes in fewer species. Big box stores do not carry it. You need a lumberyard or cabinet shop.

Check out: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f91/...-31084-32.html starting post #441. That will give you an idea of how tight you can bend it, and how to construct a frame.

Chris

[Splitrock]

I've just used bendable plywood as a substrate and covered it. The stuff I've used looks like luan. It's easy to find. Reversed tambour works pretty good as a bending substrate too.

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by Minno

Bendable plywood typically comes in 2 thicknesses - 1/8" and 1/4". For tight curves, the 1/8" thick is better. Drawback is bendable plywood is harder to find and comes in fewer species. Big box stores do not carry it. You need a lumberyard or cabinet shop.

Check out: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f91/...-31084-32.html starting post #441. That will give you an idea of how tight you can bend it, and how to construct a frame.

Chris

Hey! That link goes to our '56 Safari restoration thread!

Just to clarify, we didn't end up using bendable plywood - it wouldn't make a tight enough curve to match the existing curves before snapping and breaking. We tried taking it real slow and clamping a little at a time & spraying with water first, but it just wouldn't make the turn. So we built our own corners by layering birch veneer over a 1/4-round frame we built using the holes from our 6" hole-saw pieces, we ended up with the 3" radius we were looking for. We then butted the plywood up to our "corners", sanded the joint smooth and put a finished veneer over the whole thing. It worked great!

Shari

[Minno]

Sorry Shari - I could have sworn that you used bendable plywood. Must have been another thread I was following.

Kay & I do refer to your thread a lot, looking for ideas, how you did things, etc. It's one the threads I have bookmarked.

Chris

[Foiled Again]

Did anyone else notice stormdeborah's pictures yesterday? She hasn't posted anything but photos so far, but wow!

and now this thread tells me I can get pre-fab curved corners. Sha-Zam! In my day girls were banned from shop classes, but I did pick up a few skills here and there. I don't know that I'll ever do anything but HIRE the cabinetry work I want done for my A/S... but it's nice to think about doing. Perhaps I CAN do a queen to twins conversion in mine. Especially with the nice round corners I can now get if I need them.

The brain is working!

Happy Trails.... Paula

[VIKING]

http://www.aitwood.com/images/pdf/CurvedPly2008.pdf

One more time. If you open the attachment and scroll down to "radius end panels" you will find plywood with various radius' and flat surfaces. The first one on the list is 5/8" thick plywood, 96" long. It has a 26" "extension"(flat area), and then a 3" radius for 90 degrees, and then another 3" extension.
They have a lot of sizes available, and you don't have to make a form or learn how to stack-laminate veneers around one and still be able to clamp them. These are real timesavers.

Rich the Viking

[Splitrock]

These guys make radius corners

http://www.osbornewood.com/product/6986.cfm

This article sort of explains bendable plywood. It's bent cross grain and in my world, it's used as a substrate only and is always covered.

http://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/lumber/sheet-goods-selector/?page=4

Kerfkore makes a bending board that will make a very tight radius.

http://www.premierwood.com/kerfkore-bending-board-c9933.htm

Even with Kerfkore 1/4" the smallest radius is 3.5 inches.

Rockler sells something that looks like Kerfkore but I'm not sure it is.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11206&ne_ppc_id=google&ne_key_id= s3Wqtsu0M&pcrid=543646860&gclid=CLnhsPLNh6QCFSVL5w odH2y0JA

Outwater makes a lot of panel corners and other extrusions
http://www.outwatercatalogs.com/lg_display.cfm/catalog/2010_Master_Catalog/page/9

[Arrowstream]

Here's how Spartan Aircraft did it in 1948. They cut top and bottom plates out of 3/4 plywood, added uprights and bent the finish ply over that. For a tighter radius, they used 2x2 finish grade stock on the face frame and rounded the exposed corner. I couldn't get a good picture of that one.