How To Make Curved Wood Beams

A curved beam is an interesting architectural structure to make. Made from wood, this structure can be shaped using glue and ironing. The resulting curve can be fun to work with!

Curved beams are not easy to make. Most people only manage to get a couple of curves in the same lump of wood. It takes a lot of effort to make a curved beam that is not plain, and this article will talk you off the fence!

How to make a curved beam will vary based on what direction the wood goes. If it goes up, then you make an upward curve. If it goes down, you make an inward curve. These tips will also talk about how to keep your new beam looking new and fresh for several seasons of use.

There are many ways to make a curvedbeam. Some use two identical pieces of wood glued together, one with one side curves and the other does not.

Trace the curve of the wood beam

how to make curved wood beams

Once you have the curve created, it is time to trace the curve. A straight wood beam will have a very slight curve to it, where as a curved wood beam will have a much more pronounced curve.

You can do this by placing your hand on one end and then the other end of the wood beam and moving together. You will see how it moves together as you do this. You want to do this on both sides of the wood beam because one side may be deeper than the other.

Once you have traced both sides, they are ready for cutting. You can use a table top, router, or jig to cut them. Try using your old windowsills or some bookshelves if there are some handy.

Use a compass to draw a circle

how to make curved wood beams

When drawing a curved wood beam, you must use a compass to draw a circle around the timber. This is due to the shape of the timber.

Most wooden beams have a round top, followed by an arc of curve. This is because when planing the wood, it becomes thinner at the edge, where you want to curve it. You would then round off this corner, and curve it slightly further.

This is similar to working with rosettes and rounds on Designs by Diana. The difference is that these rosettes and rounds do not get rounded again once completed, as they are too thick!

Using a compass ensures you do not happen upon one side or top of the timber. You would then have to start again, and sand down the other side of the timber. This can be hard if you are working on something that is very delicate.

Use a jig saw to cut along the line

how to make curved wood beams

If you do not have a jig saw, you can still make curved wood beams using a curved saw. However, your cut may not be flat, it must be curved!

You will need to buy a straight-cut sawing tool called a rip cutter. This tool will be used to cut through the lumber in your beam. Then, you will need to purchase a jig Saw to create the slats on your beam.

Once these tools are purchased and learned, there is no wrong way to make a curtsey beam! Just be sure to change out the wood chips every once and a while to keep it going.

You can also use an electric carpenter’s pencil or some craft glue to attach the lumber together.

Sand the edge of the beam

how to make curved wood beams

Once your curve is complete, the last step is to sand the edge. This means cutting a long, straight length of wood and then rounding off the corners to create a seamless curve.

This is important! If you do not have enough wood to make the whole stack, you can cut down one or more of the pieces to have a complete substitutes!

Using an electrician’s staple gun will work fine if there are no heavy objects like furniture or a large guy that might need support.

Apply hardwood edging

how to make curved wood beams

Once the plywood is cut, the next step is to apply the hardwood edge. This can be done with a router, pencil, or chisel.

Many woodworkers use solid grey timbers as their starting point. These can be labeled as 2-1/2″ thick cherry or oak, and are the standard length for a table top.

If you are going to add chairs and such, add 1/2″ of clear plexiglass on top of the 1-3/4″ thick wood to create a bottom. This will help keep water from causing any water rings to form on your furniture.

Use a router and make several passes to get an even thickness. If you have some extra time, use a routrngstuds – these will prevent your piece from warping due to contact with the power tool.

Finish with paint or stain

how to make curved wood beams

If you choose to finish the curve in your wood beams, you can do so several ways. You can stain or paint the entire beam and then glue or screw them together. You can use epoxies to seal the beams together or you can just let them hang.

Epoxies work the best if your curve is defined by thick glue or paint. If you have a thinner curve, such as in our example, then natural oils works better as they take less time to dry and hold.

Hanging works better if the weight is right and there are no danger of it moving. If you want to add more support, add more nails or screws through the bottom of each piece.

Know your supports

how to make curved wood beams

When making curved beams, you will need supports. There are many ways to create supports for your beams. Some popular supports are dowel tubes, counterweights, pulley systems, and gravity systems.

Dowel tubes are like long parallel dowels that are placed together and extended to create support. A common method is to cut two lengths of lumber (typically one inch longer than the desired width of the beam) and then tack down two opposite sides of the lumber.

Counterweights are similar to dowel tubes, but they are placed on top of another piece of wood instead of being extended into the beam. This allows you to eliminate the need for a bottom surface on which the furniture can be placed.

Gravity systems work like counterweights, but they are not matched together — they just get lower when other ones rise higher.

Use hangers or brackets for hanging items

how to make curved wood beams

When making curved wood beams, you will need to use hangers or brackets to hang items on. This is important to do before the final cutting and placement of the wood.

Without these tools, it can be difficult to do any finishing such as routing or joining of the pieces. This can be time consuming and even tedious depending on how much wood you have!

Also, if you do not have any hangers or brackets, then you will need to purchase some at an hardware store as they may not be available online. Most home centers or hardware stores have them!

Online resources can also help in this task as there are many that offer free help.

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