Best Tools for Making Curved Cuts in Thin Wood?
Asked by CraftyNinja42
I'm new to woodworking and I've got some thin wood planks that are just 1/8" thick, but they tend to splinter easily. Can anyone recommend the best tools or techniques for cutting curved shapes in this kind of material?
Answers
If you're looking for alternatives, with 1/8" thick wood, you might try clamping it down and using a belt sander. Just sand it along your cut line, and it can work nicely too.
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Have you thought about steaming the wood? If you can bend it, that's a great option too, as long as it won't affect the grain orientation you need.
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I suggest clamping your wood between two sacrificial pieces of MDF. This way, you can use a bandsaw, scroll saw, or even a router to make the cuts without risking splintering the thin wood. It's a solid method that works well!
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CuttingEdgeGuy: 100% agree with this! I did something similar when making some earrings from African bloodwood. That wood is super brittle when it's thin.
CraftyNinja42: Thanks for the tip!