Source: Carl Heindl via Pinterest

When it comes to wood furniture design, there are so many styles to take into consideration before you make the decision to commission a custom piece. This is why I always recommend that my clients first check out some of the great furniture exhibitions happening around the region for inspiration. I often share these upcoming events on my design blog, so be sure to check back frequently.

Speaking on wood furniture, a task that we fine furniture craftsmen of the NHFMA are often faced with is bending wood to create our original pieces. While it may sound like it, fortunately, it doesn’t take superhuman strength to create the curved parts of wood furniture from straight boards. Here are some of our tips of the trade for doing so:

Steaming

One option is to steam your wood boards to make them more pliable to bending. What’s so great about this method is that the wood will retain its long-grain pattern and it does not become tainted by unsightly glue lines. Of course, there are some downsides to steaming, including the difficulty in containing the new shape and the increased likelihood of breakages. You can bend wood yourself via the steaming method simply by picking up a steam box at your local hardware store.

Laminating

Another way to bend wood is through laminating. Through this method, you clamp several pieces of thin wood to a form and laminate them. Once the glue dries, the thin boards of wood will have become one and will retain the shape of the form. The major drawback to using this method is that you lose a lot of material with the required sawing.  But the resulting form is much stronger than the original wood.

If you want to learn more about wood furniture design and bending methods, please contact me, Richard Oedel, Fine Furniture Master.