How to Laminate Circles

Thin pieces of wood are laminated to make round wood circles.

Thin strips of wood will bend easily into almost any shape, including circles. By gluing or "laminating" multiple strips together, you can craft a circle that is durable and sturdy for woodworking projects involving artwork, moulding or anywhere you need circular woodworking. Once you get the initial circle started, it's just a process of gluing strips one by one to the outside diameter until it reaches the thickness you desire.

Things You'll Need

• Wood strips, 1/1/6 x 3/4 x 36 inches
• Masking tape
• Glue
• Pencil
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Bend one wood strip into a circle and overlap the ends by 2 inches. Place masking tape on the overlapped ends to secure the shape.

2. Bend another strip around the first one. Mark the point where the two ends meet with a pencil. Cut the circle at the mark with a pair of scissors. Bend the circle around the first circle again so that the ends meet perfectly. Secure it with a piece of tape.

3. Bend a third circle around the first two circles. Mark it and cut it like you did the second circle. Remove the two outside circles. Remove the tape from the circles.

4. Spread a thin layer of glue on one side of the first strip of wood. Lay the second strip of wood on top of the glue. Bend both pieces around the first circle together and secure then by placing a piece of tape on the outside of the circle. Wait one hour for the glue to dry. Remove the tape from the outside of the circle.

5. Bend a fourth strip of wood around the circle. Mark it and cut it. Spread a thin layer of glue on one side. Bend it around the circle and secure it with tape. Wait one hour for it to dry. Continue cutting and adding strips to the circle until it is at the desired diameter or thickness. Push the initial circle out from the center with your fingers.

Tips & Warnings

• The measurements here are examples. You can use wider, thinner, shorter or longer strips of wood. All woods and all thicknesses of wood will bend differently. Experiment with thicknesses and wood species to determine how easily the wood will bend.