Gluing bent pine sticks

[Gene Davis]

A nice desk design was done by Torsten Sherwood for a table-desk, all in pine, with an interesting leg-apron detail done with box joints. See the attached.

Using the photos and the l x w x h info provided at the website, I tried modeling it in Sketchup to do a scale-and-dimension study, after Dave R did the same, and the leg parts seem to be between 15mm and 16mm square in section. Whatever you choose, the apron thickness is the same number.

Now to the issue of the bend and the glue-up. Others have said steam bending will be best, but I think it can be done as a two-step op using clamps and some good glue. Three steps actually.

Glue and clamp the aprons and stretchers to form the undercarriage for the top. Glue and clamp the leg components to each corner array, not trying to do anything with the leg bottoms yet. Glue and clamp each leg pair, getting half of the compound bend done. Now glue and clamp the leg pairs together, to do the last part of the curvature.

Your thoughts and recommendations are welcome and appreciated.

[Jamie Buxton]

I don't think steam bending is necessary either. The pine should cold-bend sufficiently.
And I don't think you need two steps to glue the four parts together at the bottom. I'd get the tops secure, then pull all four pieces together at the bottom in one glue-up.

It would be easy to make a test leg, separate from the table. You might learn a bunch.

[Gene Davis]

Thanks, and of course some prototyping is in order. Might be of interest to try it in a couple of other species and variants. I was thinking of clear eastern white pine, clear dense SYP, and maybe even some clear old-growth heart pine, plus some dense clear rift-sawn doug fir.

I checked out availability of square metal tubing, and found square brass at 1-1/4" outside with 0.100" wall thickness. See here. http://www.lewisbrass.com/tubing/square-brass-tubing-3/

A 19mm length of it is shown on one leg, acting as a collar right where the top end of the bottom glue joint lies. Insurance, and a little design flair, the metal part all nicely smoothed with files and sandpaper, then lacquered. Maybe little round-head brads to help fix to the legs.

My model of the setup tells me that if this brass tube thing is done, and the part is as specified, the leg quadrants are milled to precisely 16.5mm, or a little under 0.650", for all to work nicely.