Meranti plywood and bending around a radius

[ratrod71]

I want to use 4'X10' plywood for my roof and headliner so it will be one continuous piece of plywood rather than seaming it. I would prefer 1/8", but that seems impossible to find, especially in Fairbanks Alaska. A local specialty hardwood supplier did find 5.2mm Meranti for a price that is very reasonable. My question is if this thickness could successfully be bent around a 90 degree 19" radius? Thanks in advance, Bryan

[tony.latham]

I don't know... but I think the problem you'll have with that plywood (I've never seen it), is that the grain is going to run lengthwise and thus not want to bend in that direction. I'm assuming it's a 3 ply material.

I suggest you take a look through KC's Poet Creek Express build log: viewtopic.php?f=55&t=48630 He had some plywood roof bending issues he managed to resolve. (Grab a sack of popcorn) You might bump him a PM on your question too.

T

[KCStudly]

As Tony pointed out, for my ceiling panel I bent 5mm Okoume oriented across the width to a 13.5 inch radius, but I did get some outer fibers that cracked, and a section as long as my hand in the middle of the field that "popped" the inner plys. That left a kink in that area that didn't follow the lines of the profile exactly. My walls are a darker colored stain with a gloss poly coat, so if you shine a light straight on it you can see it, but under normal conditions it doesn't stand out; plus it is located inside of the front cabinet.

Because of this, I decided to put a layer of 6 oz glass weave and epoxy on the outside (between ceiling and roof insulation) to help stabilize against future cracking. Seems to have done the trick.

As far as joining seams, it takes a little attention to detail and you have to be patient, but I was able to get acceptable results with no prior experience. Using a dark stain helps hide any imperfections; filler and paint would be even easier.

[ratrod71]

Thank you for taking the time to reply! Bryan

[bobhenry]

I placed regular old (cheap) Luan in a hot water bath and let it soak. It was pliable enough to do this.......

[KCStudly]

I also found that narrow strips, used as story poles to wrap around the profile and determine final cut length of the for real panel bent much easier than full sheets. There is a lot less stress in a smaller piece.