Skirting Boards

[L1OFF]

I'm currently renovating my 18th century listed house and need to replace the scabby skirting boards in one of the bedrooms (house was badly remodeled during the 1980's) my issue is the shape of the room, as it is round(ish)owing to being in a turret.
Any suggestion to how I can do this?
get a carpenter was my first thought but I like to try things on my own.

[RichB]

I guess you will need to saw most of the way through the skirting board from the back with a tenon saw every 3 inches or so to make it flexible enought to bend. Or, get a carpenter in!

[mosstrooper]

I had a similar promblem in a circular hallway only 1.5m in diameter. I cut some 4mm plywood into strips. Mine were about 120mm wide but it looks as if your will only be about 75mm. Lay one strip in position but do not bend it into the wall. Take the next strip. PVA it and then place it against the first stip and then push them into the wall. They can be held into position by a batten and wedges anchored further across the floor. When dry, remove the batten and add another PVA'd strip. Repeat until you have the finished thickess required. You are, in effect, making a laminated skirting.

Remove the skirting. Smooth the top edge. Trim the ends. You can radius the top arris or fix in position and then plant on a small quadrant/torus/ogee mould.

Bit of a fiddle but the result will look good.


Happy Wednesday.

[Buzz word]

I like the saw idea, maybe use that in conjunction with steaming? I bet it would be possible to combine a wallpaper stripper with some drainpipe to give a passable steaming chamber. The difficulty would be clamping it so it retained it's shape well enough whilst drying.

[dirty boy]

Heat them up in water, put them in a jig and bend them, steam them?

[allegro]

Bendywood is the answer! check it out, amazing stuff.

http://www.hafele.com/us/documents/Bendywood_Broch...

Suppliers are a bit limited in this country but you can get it, and in skirting profiles too. I have a sample piece my timber supplier gave me and its scary the radius you can achieve with it. should be able to find a supplier somewhere on the web

My timber supplier used to do it but has changed hands and i'm not sure if they still do it. If you get no joy on the net my supplier is called Noyek but may now be under Theos timber. based in Manchester.

[Wings]

I once had a round breakfast bar and stools made, this the carpenter did by heating water up, with the steam that was given off, and together with the use of a large rubber inner tube, was able to create a circular shape for the backs of the stools, and the edging for the circular shaped breakfast bar.

[Incorrigible]

I've done some by cutting small sections of skirting to make the rough bend and then finishing with car body filler and a template made from steel, I'll have to dig some pictures out

[Sheets Tabuer]

These types of skirting are usually built up with very thin strips of ply, overlap every three inches or so and you get you bend.

For instance your top piece is a foot long, piece behind it is 1' 6", piece behind that is 2 foot and so on till the curve is built.

[L1OFF]

allegro said:

Bendywood is the answer! check it out, amazing stuff.

http://www.hafele.com/us/documents/Bendywood_Broch...

Suppliers are a bit limited in this country but you can get it, and in skirting profiles too. I have a sample piece my timber supplier gave me and its scary the radius you can achieve with it. should be able to find a supplier somewhere on the web

My timber supplier used to do it but has changed hands and i'm not sure if they still do it. If you get no joy on the net my supplier is called Noyek but may now be under Theos timber. based in Manchester.

that is really interesting stuff,the UK distributors website is a bit naff though. I will give them a ring tomorow.
thanks

[robinhood21]

Back in the good-old-days they were often fashioned using plaster.

[Simpo Two]

robinhood21 said:

Back in the good-old-days they were often fashioned using plaster.

I constructed the corner of the infinity coves in my studio using several helpings of B&Q lightweight plaster. I had three radiused corners meeting at right angles!

In this instance I like the idea of using laminating, but it will difficult to get a nice top in situ. To steam something as thick as a skirting board you'll need a professional steamer (boat builders use them). Or lots of saw cuts followed by lots of filling and sanding.