Introduce Curves to Your Work
Bent lamination represents a dramatic departure from most traditional fine woodworking. Rather than working within rectilinear geometry, you will lean into the materiality of the wood and explore its natural strengths through curvature.
Reference face is often non-existent, so cutting joinery requires some creative thinking and novel use of machinery and hand tools.
We will explore a variety of methods, including cold lamination, mold making, vacuum forming, and steam bending.
Key Learning Points
The key learnings you’ll take away with you include:
Mold making: one-part molds, two-part molds, vacuum molds, and freeform bending
Dimensioning constructional thickness veneer
Resawing special thickness or tapered laminates
Vacuum forming
Steam bending
Clamping strategies
Milling curved parts safely
Designing jigs to recreate reference face and cut bent lamination joinery
Students will explore the material science behind bent lamination and how to design a mold with fair curvature and evenly dispersed clamping pressure. Students will learn how to think critically and determine the most appropriate mold type, milling strategy, and joinery techniques to address the specific aesthetic and structural needs of their desired curve.