How to Bend Thin Plywood

Curve plywood to create misshapen furniture.

Working on projects that require curved wood can seem extremely frustrating. Bending plywood, however, is actually a relatively simple task. In order to bend thin plywood into the desired angle or shape, you must create a level of flexibility in the plywood to prevent breaking. If you need to curve or bend thin plywood in order to complete a project, steam bending plywood is one of the easiest and most common ways to do so. With patience, any individual can complete this task.

Things You'll Need

• Steamer
• Hose
• Water bucket
• Box with lid
• Duct tape
• Plywood
• Clamps
• Wood mold

Instructions

1. Place wood inside of a box with a lid. Choose a solid wood or a PVC container to place wood in to steam. If the wood sections are small enough, choose a PVC pipe to place wood inside. The wood needs to be sealed inside in order to create an effective steam box.

2. Hook up steamer and pour the water into the steamer's tank. Insert the end of the hose into the box and close the lid. Apply duct tape around the edges and seal the hose end into the box with duct tape. Cover any opening.

3. Turn steamer on to release steam into the box. Allow wood to undergo steam treatment for 15 to 20 minutes. The longer the wood is exposed to steam, the more flexible the plywood will be.

4. Turn off steam machine and remove all duct tape. Remove wood from the steam box, and place wood onto mold.

5. Clamp plywood in place around the mold by placing one clamp every 6 inches along the length of the wood. Allow wood to remain over the mold for 24 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• Allow 24 hours for wood to shape before you begin the building process.

References

• All Wood Work: Methods of Bending Wood

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish