Source for Single Plys/veneer to Make shaped Plywood

[Ray DuBose]

I've seen several shows in the past and furniture that was made by basically making a form and pressing your own plywood into complex shapes.

I find myself in need of doing this and thinnest I can find is 1/8" (3 Ply) that I don't think will bend the shape I want very well so I thought I would look for the materials to make my own. Problem is that all I can find is expensive veneer which is fine on the outside but inner ply just need to be Birch preferably.

Anyone know where I can look? Needs to be about the size of a quarter sheet of Ply 2'x4'

Thanks

Ray

[John TenEyck]

How tight a radius are you trying to bend? 1/8" plywood can bend into a 5" radius, even tighter if supported on the outside.

[Tony Joyce]

I've seen several shows in the past and furniture that was made by basically making a form and pressing your own plywood into complex shapes.

I find myself in need of doing this and thinnest I can find is 1/8" (3 Ply) that I don't think will bend the shape I want very well so I thought I would look for the materials to make my own. Problem is that all I can find is expensive veneer which is fine on the outside but inner ply just need to be Birch preferably.

Anyone know where I can look? Needs to be about the size of a quarter sheet of Ply 2'x4'

Thanks

Ray

You can get 1/16" veneer from "Certainly Wood" (Poplar $1.00 Ft). You can also get thin 3-ply from 1/32" up here.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...nnishbirch.php

[John Karam]

I've used a plywood referred to as Wigglewood to make some curved panels that I veneered over, wasn't a tight radius but I seemed to remember it being very flexible. It's several layers of ply with the grain all running in the same direction, allowing it to flex more.

[Chris Fournier]

I've used a plywood referred to as Wigglewood to make some curved panels that I veneered over, wasn't a tight radius but I seemed to remember it being very flexible. It's several layers of ply with the grain all running in the same direction, allowing it to flex more.

This stuff is great and you can cheat a tighter radius by carefully kerfing the inside of the radius. You need to experiment with the width and depths of the kerfs. Wigglewood can be bought with the bending radius along the length of the 4' x 8' sheet or across the width.

[Ray DuBose]

I'll give 1/8th a shot and see how tight I can get it. 5" may be enough. Most of the bending Plywood's are still fairly flexible after bending and I need something that will be ridged. What is the bending process with 1/8"? Do I need to wet it down to bend?

[Chris Fournier]

I'll give 1/8th a shot and see how tight I can get it. 5" may be enough. Most of the bending Plywood's are still fairly flexible after bending and I need something that will be ridged. What is the bending process with 1/8"? Do I need to wet it down to bend?

Crossband the bending plywood and she ain't flexible!

[Jay Maiers]

Crossband the bending plywood and she ain't flexible!

Just laying up multiple layers with glue removes most of the flexibility.

We use the stuff all of the time at work (custom tradeshow exhibits). It's great if you plan on finishing it after the piece is constructed, but it's not pretty in raw form. Also, I don't think it's rigid enough to make legs for a load bearing structure like a chair or a cabinet without using a ton of layers.