- 1). Draw the curved shape desired on a piece of strip of plywood that is 1/2- to 1-inch thick.
- 2). Cut the plywood along the drawn lines using a jigsaw.
- 3). Cut cedar wood into 1/8-inch thick strips. Make the strips longer than the drawn pattern, as longer pieces are easier to bend and you can trim them later. Create at least three of these strips.
- 4). Soak the cedar in boiling water for four to six hours.
- 5). Press all the hot cedar strips into the curve of the plywood form and clamp them together. Place a spare strip of wood that has been waxed on both sides between the cedar and the plywood form. The stock will begin to set as it cools, so do this as quickly as possible. Place the clamps at close intervals, with the spare clamp length extending past the outside of the curve. The amount of clamps you will need depends on the size and shape of the plywood curve. Let this sit overnight.
- 6). Remove the strips of wood from the form and lay them in the order of desired placement on a work table. Starting with the bottom strip in the stack, use a paintbrush to apply polyurethane glue evenly along the top of the strip and the bottom of the strip to be placed above it.
- 7). Repeat this gluing process for all remaining strips and then place the wood back in the plywood form. Place the same waxed strip of wood between the glued cedar and the plywood to protect the cedar from damage.
- 8). Remove the new cedar bend from the plywood form once the glue has dried thoroughly. This will typically take about five hours.
- 9). Sand away any excess glue.
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