cousininmiami wrote:Hi Mousekedude... I am following intently. However, what is laminating? The only laminating I know is one is what I do at my office with paper. And I still can't figure out how you are going to bend the wood... one of the grand mysteries of life I suppose. What is the plan for the inside, will it be cork, or some other material? Anyways, enough of the 20 questions, hope you are feeling better, remember it's not healthy to be sick!

Thank you for your interest, and I don't mind the "20 questions" one bit!
"Laminating" is when you use multiple layers of something to create something else. In this case, I will be using numerous layers of thin wood stacked together and glued. If you've ever looked at the edge of a piece of plywood, you will notice that there are numerous layers. With plywood, the layers are stacked with the grain of each layer running in a different direction. This creates strength because when you try to bend a thin sheet of veneer laterally (perpendicularly to the grain), it bends much more easily than when you try to bend it longitudinally (with the grain). The best way to illustrate this principle is to visualize a handful of pencils. Each pencil can represent a "grain" in the wood. Because the grains are longer than they are wide, they have flexibility side-to-side between them... just as if you were holding a handful of pencils, you can "squish" them down, scoot them around each other, etc. But try taking that stack of pencils in both hands and trying to bend it! Different story there, because they are stronger down the length of the grain. Make sense? So when you laminate strips of wood, you try to run the grain in the same direction for each layer, and bend the layers "with" the grain, instead of "across" the grain. Wood will bend a little "across" the grain, but not much before it breaks. I hope all this makes sense....? Anyway, I will stack up the layers with lots of glue between them, and then bend them around inside the molds I created. The individual layers will bend easily, and the glue will "lubricate" them so they slide around each other well as they are formed into place. Then, once the glue dries, the stacked layers will be solid like a sheet of plywood, but will be in the shape of the molds.
The plan for the inside is to use the original "pattern" (see the first episode") as an insert with cork-board glued to it, and a layer of black velvet stretched over that.
I may not have a chance to work on the project this week, but when I do, I'll be sure to show plenty of pictures of the laminating and bending process. And when I get to the point of creating the insert I'll document that as well, so all your questions should be thoroughly covered. Meanwhile, if you (or anyone else) have more questions, feel free to ask. I have a lot of experience with this sort of stuff, and my DW always jokes that she married Bob Villa and McGyver all rolled into one.
