I'm currently building a tambour clock from a Woodsmith plan, and it calls for the technique of kerf- bending masonite. I made up two masonite boards of the required size and cut kerfs most of the way thru the masonite, each 1/4" apart. When I gently tried to bend the first board over the curve of the clock, it broke. I found the kerf wasnt quite cut deep enough, and did better on the second one, but I think it's still a bit low.
Anyone use this technique before? I think that my combo blade isn't the right blade, as the bottom of the kerf has a raised middle, as opposed to a flat bottom, and I think this would make the middle of the kerf stronger, and the edges weak, possibly causing the fracture. Also, does masonite age and get more brittle? I'm using some pretty old masonite for this.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.