Curved Panel Headboard

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

I'm trying to build a bed that has a curved, Sleigh-like headboard. It is inspired by a Thomas Moser design but with less curve to it due to overall length restraints of our bedroom. I have the bed all designed out except for that panel.

I was originally going to take four 4" wide 4/4 boards and joint them with a small angle and glue up a segmentally "curved" panel. It would then need to be smoothed using planes scrapers and sanders along with templates to determine when the curve is right.

Option 2: Use bending plywood as layers of a laminated glueup that would have home cut cherry veneer on either side. This will require bending forms but I don't mind that. I've never used bending plywood so anyone have a clue how much springback to expect? It's bending about 11 degrees across 16-17 inches.

Thanks,

Mac

[Brian Peters]

If you are going for this style then I would do bent lamination. http://thomasmoser.com/product.detail.php?list_rank=1&product_id=215

Say the center panel is floating in the frame grooves do something like two 1/4" layers of MDF and veneer both sides with paperbacked cherry veneer. I wouldn't make it, I would buy it. Unless you're setup to resaw or you absolutely need to just buy it. If you're a purist you could resaw that and glue it up on a form but I don't see a whole lot of advantage to it. Form + mdf + veneer + contact or white glue is cheap. Resaw labor + solid lumber + drum/wide belt labor is not. Spring back shouldn't be a huge issue. I would go slightly over the radius a bit and keep it in the form prepped/sanded until you're ready to glue up the frame.

[Jim Becker]

MAC, do a search for the bed that Mark Singer did awhile back. He used the technique you describe to construct the headboard with a slight, but graceful curve. I've seen the piece up close and personal and it's wonderful. It was a bit of hand-plane work, but worth the effort! If I recall, he did start with thicker stock than 4/4, however.