need advice on technique

[Stephen Edwards]

I'm in need of ideas and solutions for one part of a challenging project that I've never done before. Here's the situation:

I want to build what will appear to be a padlock, using wood. It won't really be a functioning lock. It'll about the size of medium sized real padlock.

What's the best way to either bend a piece of dowel wood or to make the inverted U shaped piece that one sees on a normal padlock? The species of wood doesn't matter. I can use anything. This inverted U shaped piece should be about 1/4" or 5/16" in diameter.

I welcome suggestions and thank you for your time.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

I think you will need to carve it.

[David DeCristoforo]

I would cut the piece from a 1/4" or 5/16" piece of flat stock. Leave the "legs" long. Then use a small (1/8") radius bit set up in a router table to round over all four edges giving you the round "U" shape. Careful... depending on how the grain runs, this will be a delicate piece. You could laminate the "blank" from three layers of wood with grain of the center piece running across the two outer layers. That would make it stronger but it would be apparent that it was laminated. Your call as to which would be preferable... After it's shaped, cut the "legs" to the length you need.

[Rick Dennington]

I don't think you could steam bend it without it breaking. And if you could, the "U" would probably be too big to use.You might could make a templete and rout it, but that's questionable too. My nickel's worh. Rick Dennington

[David Christopher]

if you are using 1/4 maybe you could soak it in vinagar and try to bend it....I have used vinagar before and it works better than steaming

[Jamie Buxton]

You can steam bend a 1/4" dowel to that radius, if you use a good steam-bending species like hickory. However, acquiring the apparatus and skill to to steam bend would be a longer road than David's approach. The advantage to the steam-bent part is that it would be stronger than the milled part.

[Myk Rian]

I would cut the piece from a 1/4" or 5/16" piece of flat stock. Leave the "legs" long. Then use a small (1/8") radius bit set up in a router table to round over all four edges giving you the round "U" shape. Careful... depending on how the grain runs, this will be a delicate piece. You could laminate the "blank" from three layers of wood with grain of the center piece running across the two outer layers. That would make it stronger but it would be apparent that it was laminated. Your call as to which would be preferable... After it's shaped, cut the "legs" to the length you need.
That could be a dangerous operation. That small piece on a RT is bound to kickback. Even holding it with a clamp I would think twice.
I think a spindle sander might be a better tool.

[David DeCristoforo]

With a 1/8" RO bit and a pad to hold it down, this would not be an "unsafe operation". I have made many pieces this small with no issue. I do think that steam bending would be a better option but it's a lot of fuss for just "one little piece".

[Joe Scharle]

I'd put a green sapling, oak or hickory, in a suitable form and let it dry.

[Dell Littlefield]

David's suggestion works great. I make drawer pulls and box handles that way regularly. I usually use the 3 layer technique on thicker stock and have done it on plywood. I use a forstner bit to cut the inside dimension. I then shape the outside on the bandsaw and router. I do not cut off the legs until finished shaping and sanding. Sometimes I even finish it before sawing the bottom off. This gives you a clamping surface for all the final work.

[harry strasil]

Joe beat me to it.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...green sapling, oak or hickory..."

And if you can't find one growing in your area you could always plant one, wait for it to attain an OD of 1/4 - 5/16" and then you're all set. When did you say you needed it done?
;)

[harry strasil]

LOL, any choice limb will do, when I demo I go get a green twig abou 1/4 dia from a local tree, cut off the bark on one end for a 1/2 inch, pound it a bit with my mallet and presto instant glue brush applicator,

[Stephen Edwards]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. I had thought of the green sapling idea, or even a small shoot from a willow tree. Plenty of saplings of many species, of all sizes, on the property here.

I know that I don't want to carve it. That would take me longer than it would for the sapling to grow to the right size, per David's suggestion!:rolleyes:

Laminating the flat stock sounds like something to try. Might even be interesting to try it with contrasting woods, mmmmmmmm. If I go that route, I'll surely leave the legs long enough so that I could use them for "handles" while doing the round over routing. Maybe I should wear some gloves as finger guards when I do the routing;):D

The forstner bit idea sounds good, too. That would give me the perfectly round look on the inside of the inverted U shape. And Then........how about this for the outside?:

Using David's flat stock suggestion and Dell's forstner bit suggestion I'll have a piece of flat stock with a U shape removed from it. The piece that's removed is waste, kindling, actually.

Next, put together an auxiliary top/jig that would clamp to the BS table. Drill a hole in that and install a piece of dowel as a "pin" guide, setting it the same distance away from the BS blade as the thickness of the piece of stock that I'm working with (+ a wee bit for sanding). Then, I take the piece of flat stock and hold the U shape against the pin as a guide. That should make the outer shape of the U, parallel with the inner shape, right??

[Dell Littlefield]

Stephen, doing it my way, you wouldn't have a U but a board with an oblong hole in it. The board would be as wide as the outside of your hasp. Round over two corners and route inside and outside. The bottom is cut off after all the other procedures. I made a box handle with alternating cherry and maple layers. This gave me the additional strength and looked great too.

[Stephen Edwards]

Thanks, Dell. That makes sense and sounds like less work than what I was thinking. I'll let you know how this turns out. This project is just now in the planning stages so it'll be a while.

[Leigh Betsch]

I'd use a biscuit jointer or maybe an ax, .... opps I guess that's a different thread........;)

[Joe Wiliams]

Can it be one piece? If so maybe make it like you would a tenon but first bore a hole where the tenon will be then make the tenon like usual and trim as needed to make the shape of the 'lock'.

Depending on how you want it attached, this may or may not work.

[Hugh Watling]

You could try hot pipe bending. FWW #205 has an article about how it is done or you can do a search on "hot pipe wood bending"

[Billy Chambless]

"...green sapling, oak or hickory..."

And if you can't find one growing in your area you could always plant one, wait for it to attain an OD of 1/4 - 5/16" and then you're all set. When did you say you needed it done?
;)


Patience is so very important for the true craftsman.

[Johnny Pearce]

Has anyone ever tried soaking a 1/4 or 5/16" dowel in a solution of alcohol and Downy fabric softener, bending around a jig and clamping till it dries. I have seen some amazing bends in white oak using the Downy to soften and alcohol to penetrate better than water.