Curved Bamboo Island

Listing #4195 Listed on: 08/24/2013 Company Name: David Thiessen Woodworker, LLC
Name: David Thiessen

My assistants and I recently had an opportunity to do a curved front island. The architect specified a curved counter top. The builder and homeowner could not imagine that the island could be curved as well. They thought we would make the front with some flat panels angled around the front. I decided to make the front curved and surprise them. They were pleasantly surprised upon installation! What follows is the process for laminating and veneering a curved front island. I post this out of appreciation for those who have posted before me and how much I have learned from their postings. We learn a lot from one another. Cheers!

11 Photos

Social Media:

Viewer Comments:

Posted By:

Brian

Perfect job and appreciate the photographs and timeline. Very clean look.
Thanks for taking the time to post.
Brian

Posted By:

David

Thanks Brian

Posted By:

Ronald Naumann

Love this idea (curved) and a great job. Might try something like this in my own kitchen.

Posted By:

Linda

Great job!!

Posted By:

ness

Nice job. Can I use your post as an example on my cabinet software website? I would like to show how to design a bowed back like this and don't have any real life examples.

Posted By:

David

Thank you all for your kind remarks and for checking out this posting!

Posted By:

roger watson

very nice, not the easiest way to do it but probably the best. nice to able to do things right

Posted By:

Bob

Looks very contemporary with nice clean lines. Well done. What's the reason for using the vacuum bag outside of the form as to using the form inside the bag. Wouldn't using it inside the bag yield better results by limiting clamping?

Posted By:

David

Good question Bob. The reason for using the bag out side the form is that the form is a little too tall to get into the bag easily. The clamps are only used during the initial evacuation of air from the bag. Once it is under vacuum the clamps can come off and the panel can be taken off the form and set aside to dry. I do try to use the form inside the bag when I can but outside the form works just as well and allows for the pressing of very large panels.

Posted By:

David

You can see the completed island and cabinets in my posting on 9/7/13.

Posted By:

Jalvis

Thank you for your article.

What was your reason for routing the panel square? My first thought would be the panel saw.

Posted By:

David

Jalvis, thanks for checking out the post. I do smaller curved panels on the saw using a simple positioning system for them. This panel was almost 8' along its length and would have required a special form or jig to trim the ends at the correct angle. It was seemed faster to use the original form which I took care to build square as a guide for my router. Perhaps there is an easier way.

Add Your Comment

Add Your Comment:

Date of your Birth: