Bend the Rules - Making Curves in Wood

Course description

From your instructor Darryl Dieckman: My woodworking friends ask why I must “torture” the wood in so many ways when I could just stick to flat, straight, and 90-degree corners. Rectilinear shapes just seem unnatural to me. In this curve-a-thon workshop I will demonstrate the many ways to bend wood to your will and all the ways that it can break you. In this workshop, we challenge the conventional and explore the expressive power of curved wood. We will cover coopering, steam bending, bent laminations, kerf bending, hotpipe bending and vacuum pressing.. We'll explore the philosophical underpinnings of curvilinear design, discussing how to translate your vision into tangible forms. There will be standard setups that allow you to try out each of the processes using pre-fabricated forms and tooling. We will discuss the construction of bending forms and methods used to integrate your results into your work. This is not a project class but you will have an opportunity to explore and create curved parts for your own projects. All tools and materials will be provided.