Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

which direction does 5 mm contour easier on the outside I ran it sideways 1 to avoid joint in middle 2 to square it up thought about goinglong ways inside so id be able to find spars easier anyone bend it long ways without breaking

The theory is that standard ply (not "bendy" ply) is easier to bend along its longer length (i.e. curve up in middle of 4 ft). This is based on there being an odd number of plies with more grain running length wise, than across. Wood bends easier tending to separate the grain than bending the strands lengthwise along the grain.

For 5mm Okoume I only had to work hard, with a small problem, when bending my ceiling panel over a 13-1/2 inch radius. I had a localized internal pop about 8 inches long that created a very minor bulge/crease. I ended up stabilized that area with FG and epoxy. I'm the only one who will ever see that short crease, and, given the lighting effect on the dark stain I chose, the fact that it is inside the overhead cabinet, and the angle that you have to be at to see it, even I have a hard time spotting it.

I did spend several days with straps and backer blocks wetting the outer surface to help get around that bend, but it was doable. Any tighter than that and I would recommend going with thinner ply, perhaps two 1/8 inch thk, or even just one.