Building a Bending Jig
Sooner or later you'll be confronted with the necessity to bend a curve into a heavy piece of wood. Toe rails, margin boards, window trim, and other items that must fit the curvature of your boat can be easily bent to shape if you use some basic principles and tools. The first item that's needed is a jig to work on. It should be built to with stand the extreme forces that will be applied to the piece you'll be bending. Don't under estimate the torture that the jig will have to endure, especially as the dimensional nature and density of the lumber increases. The jig is used in conjuction with wood that has been steamed, or otherwise softened and made suitable for bending. Tips on these techniques is scheduled for a future tip, hopefully to be posted within the first couple of weeks in August. Have fun! Feel free to download and print these drawings, but please don't use it on a website without linking it to Bertram31.com. Capt Patrick McCrary Bertram31.com 834 Scott Dr., LLANO, TX 78643 Telephone 325.248.0809 Web site questions or comments to: bertram31@bertram31.com |
