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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Taree
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    70
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    289

    Default Curved Beam Construction Challenge

    Things are proceeding well on the construction of our "Artisans Retreat".
    Builder coming to grips with the somewhat unconventional building.
    My challenge is to make the curved beams for the Gallery section.
    First thought was to steam bend 10mm laminations into a 100mm x 250mm solid beam.
    All became a bit too hard with trying to find suitable air dried timber for that process - within the available time frame.
    Soooooooooo.. figured there must be another way (Commercial manufactures like Hyne etc all thought it was a bit too hard to attempt!).
    I created a model using overlapping arcs of timber - found an engineer who is happy to certify it & away I go.
    Have a few pics here http://www.artisansretreat.com/stage2prog.html of the jig I have made if anyone is interested.
    Am processing a couple of cubes of Tas Oak for the beams.
    Will add more pics as I progress (& find some time!)
    Artisans On The Hilll - Gallery, Manning Valley Hideaway Accommodation & Workshops.
    Ideal Family or Group Getaway!
    You all come & visit now - y'hear!
    http://www.artisansonthehill.com.au

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Goulburn NSW
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    89
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    913

    Default

    What a jig set up, which glue are you using?
    les

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
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    Taree
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by les88 View Post
    What a jig set up, which glue are you using?
    les
    Les
    Have "Bote-Cote" epoxy along with their high strength filler powder.
    Am yet to do the first glue-up... still working on preparing the segments for the first beam.
    Could be a very interesting day when we get to glue stage!!
    Peter
    Ozartisan
    Artisans On The Hilll - Gallery, Manning Valley Hideaway Accommodation & Workshops.
    Ideal Family or Group Getaway!
    You all come & visit now - y'hear!
    http://www.artisansonthehill.com.au

  5. #4
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Darwin NT
    Posts
    232

    Default

    Hi Ozartisan,
    You have got me curious here.
    I presume it is just the one beam.

    Can you give us more details, how many laminations and what size are they, are you scarfing the joints?
    Are you going to build it one lamination a time or do the lot in one go?
    Anybody else giving you a hand?

    (I used to work for a timber engineering company many years ago, so I've worked on few large curved beams, hence my curiosity).

    Cheers
    Bill

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 1999
    Location
    Westleigh, Sydney
    Age
    77
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    9,542

    Default

    This looks like an interesting project indeed - looking forward to more pics.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ozartisan View Post
    Could be a very interesting day when we get to glue stage!!
    Just a tip - take the phone off the hook.
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  7. #6
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    Mar 2004
    Location
    Taree
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    289

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by billbeee View Post
    Hi Ozartisan,
    You have got me curious here.
    I presume it is just the one beam.

    Can you give us more details, how many laminations and what size are they, are you scarfing the joints?
    Are you going to build it one lamination a time or do the lot in one go?
    Anybody else giving you a hand?

    (I used to work for a timber engineering company many years ago, so I've worked on few large curved beams, hence my curiosity).

    Cheers
    Bill
    Bill
    There are 5 beams in the project. All are exactly same hence the attention to detail in creating the jig.
    There will be 5 layers of 19mm Tas Oak cut from 300mm wide material.
    I bought a couple of cubes from Gunns 25 x 300mm then accurately thicknessing to prevent glue gaps where boards meet end to end.
    The curve segments are 800mm long & so there is a 400mm overlap. End grain joins are not important according to the engineer as the strength is in the laminar construction & overlap.
    Don't have anyone helping at present, but will probably enlist an extra body or 2 for the glue up. The Bote-Cote has a pot life of about 45mins - don't know if we will get all 5 layers in one glue up - might be 3 + 2!
    Will try & post a pic of how segments are laid up when I get to it.
    I would be interested in your input on other ideas given your past experience
    Thanks
    Peter
    Ozartisan
    Artisans On The Hilll - Gallery, Manning Valley Hideaway Accommodation & Workshops.
    Ideal Family or Group Getaway!
    You all come & visit now - y'hear!
    http://www.artisansonthehill.com.au

  8. #7
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Darwin NT
    Posts
    232

    Default

    Hi Peter,
    So you are going to cut your 800 long sections to the curve and the lamina will sit flat on the base of your jig.

    We worked the other way around, that is we would have made up all our pieces in long lengths (say 10M) with scarf joints first. Then bent them around the vertical parts of the jig. Of course we had larger curves, you couldn't get 19 boards around your radius.
    We used resorcinol resin so we had a longer pot life than you, and we had machine roller applicators that spread the glue evenly.

    Are you going to nail or screw your laminates together as you are laying up or just rely on clamping pressure? I might be tempted to try just screwing. That way it could be a one man operation.

    No doubt you have scanned the various boat building sites, as they are the guys that know a lot about laminated timber construction.

    Cheers
    Bill

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
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    Taree
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    Default

    G'day Bill
    You are right as to construction method. The 1.2m radius is too much to dry bend & steaming presented too many obstacles in terms of species availability within the time frame.
    I did think about screwing the lamina, but want to avoid them if possible as the beams will be a feature of the project.
    The clamps I have made are "quick action" and will in fact be quicker than screwing I believe. They have also been placed on the jig to co-incide with butts of the segments. The fixed upright of the clamp giving a reference point to lay the segments to.
    All the segments are shaped on the router with a master template, so should just be a fine clean up of glue etc after assembly.
    Cheers
    Peter
    Artisans On The Hilll - Gallery, Manning Valley Hideaway Accommodation & Workshops.
    Ideal Family or Group Getaway!
    You all come & visit now - y'hear!
    http://www.artisansonthehill.com.au

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    nth coast nsw
    Posts
    1,557

    Default

    Hi Ozartisan
    the building looks great and in a nice part of the world as well
    and that jig is a work of art,
    I finished my (curved roof) shed a couple of years ago,
    so thought I'd add my 2bobs,
    I used 4 laminations of 4x1.1/2 turpentine, scarfed to make 9mtr lengths
    these were bent around 44gal (water filled) drums and epoxied (epi-rez)
    and bugle screwed together,
    a bit rough and ready but light and strong and (most importantly) cheap
    cheers underfoot

  11. #10
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Darwin NT
    Posts
    232

    Default

    Looks like you got it covered Peter. Best of luck with it and let us know how it work's out.
    Underfoot (and Peter) there's something about curved timber beams that's particularly attractive. Good work.

    All we see up here are rolled RHS etc. Just not the same.

    Cheers
    Bill

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Taree
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    70
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    289

    Default First beam off the jig

    OK Guys - here is the first beam finally in one piece - out of the jig.
    The long straight section will form the roof line, while the curve forms the wall (The beam is upside-down in the pics)
    In the process of final clean up, sanding & applying the Sikkens finish.... Then on to the next 4!!
    Artisans On The Hilll - Gallery, Manning Valley Hideaway Accommodation & Workshops.
    Ideal Family or Group Getaway!
    You all come & visit now - y'hear!
    http://www.artisansonthehill.com.au

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    1,024

    Default

    Wow!

    Looks excellent.

    woodbe.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 1999
    Location
    Westleigh, Sydney
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    9,542

    Default

    Great stuff. By the time you get the next four finished you should be able to do it in your sleep.
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  15. #14
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    Mar 2004
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    Taree
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    Default First Beam Finally In Place!

    Had a whole bunch of chippies working here today, so enough hands to get the first monster out of the shed and into place.
    Will post some better pics when I get a chance to take them - meanwhile, these should give you some idea.
    Only 3 more to go!
    Artisans On The Hilll - Gallery, Manning Valley Hideaway Accommodation & Workshops.
    Ideal Family or Group Getaway!
    You all come & visit now - y'hear!
    http://www.artisansonthehill.com.au

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Raglan Vic. Aus
    Age
    75
    Posts
    87

    Default

    Well that's about all I can say as well. WOW!!!!

    Paul
    All these projects. Not enough lifetimes to finish them.
    Paul

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