Need a flexible batten - any ideas?
Need a flexible batten - any ideas?
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fastfreddy

Original Poster:

8,577 posts

253 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
I'm trying to find a material for a decorative project. The best way I can describe what I need is a type of flexible batten. I need to hot-glue items onto the batten, which needs to be flexible enough to be bent into circles, curves but strong enough to support itself if fixed to a wall a few places along it's length.

I need about 5-10m of this stuff and it also needs to be as cheap as possible.

Colour, material etc. doesn't matter too much as I can cover it if necessary.

Any suggestions?

andy43

11,781 posts

270 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
A sheet of plywood will bend - no more than 6mm for tight curves - local timber merchants will rip it down to whatever width strips you want.

fastfreddy

Original Poster:

8,577 posts

253 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
It needs to bend more than for some of the curves I need to make and also I need a wider area on the front surface to glue other parts to. The front surface needs to be about 20-25mm wide ideally.

Simpo Two

89,384 posts

281 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
fastfreddy said:
It needs to bend more than for some of the curves I need to make and also I need a wider area on the front surface to glue other parts to. The front surface needs to be about 20-25mm wide ideally.
What thickness, roughly? Strip materials generally only bend in one plane.

fastfreddy

Original Poster:

8,577 posts

253 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
That's the real problem, I realise. Thickness just needs to be enough to be able to fix some tubes to the front of the flexible batten at right angles to the batten. The tubes are approx 15mm in diameter.

I was thinking of something like solid flexible plastic/nylon tube, or even hollow tube of some sort would be OK as I could drill holes in the tube and push the tubes into it.

munroman

1,896 posts

200 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
Could you not cut a series of slots at the back of the batten that you want to curve away from you, and at the front to curve towards you?

V10Mike

606 posts

222 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
What about domestic polymer hot water pipe? It's flexible but will hold its shape.

Busamav

2,954 posts

224 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
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a roll of all purpose curtain track ?

Simpo Two

89,384 posts

281 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
Busamav said:
a roll of all purpose curtain track ?
I thought of that but wasn't sure which plane the OP wanted to bend it in.

henrycrun

2,473 posts

256 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
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Blue 25mm mains water pipe

fastfreddy

Original Poster:

8,577 posts

253 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
The other plane!

Ok, think of it like this.

You want to create a heart-shaped outline approx 1.5m in height which can then be attached by screws or nails or glue to a trellice backing. On the outline, you need to attach several small tubes (which are actually lights) around the circumference. A bit like the make up mirrors which have lights around the frame.

Does that make more sense?

GreenV8S

30,922 posts

300 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
If you want it to hold its shape then I'd suggest a 8'/4' sheet of ply (thickness to suit the weight you plan to attach to it) and cut the shape out with a jigsaw. There'll be a huge amount of waste material, and if you wanted to make several you could make the all from the same sheet (by cutting out concentric shapes).

fastfreddy

Original Poster:

8,577 posts

253 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
GreenV8S said:
If you want it to hold its shape then I'd suggest a 8'/4' sheet of ply (thickness to suit the weight you plan to attach to it) and cut the shape out with a jigsaw. There'll be a huge amount of waste material, and if you wanted to make several you could make the all from the same sheet (by cutting out concentric shapes).
cutting them out of ply was the starting point and would certainly be a good way to do one or two but I wanted to find a solution which would be less wasteful and easier for those with dodgy jigsaw skills (like me).

It is proving tricky to find a suitable material though...

spikeyhead

18,956 posts

213 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
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Delrin

fastfreddy

Original Poster:

8,577 posts

253 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
spikeyhead said:
Delrin
Delrin isn't flexible though...

VxDuncan

2,850 posts

250 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
Could you cast it? I'm thinking sheet of plastic or finished wood, draw outline you want, sitck pins in on the outline. Then form a "fence" using flexible plastic sheet (ie the thin secondary glazing plastic sheet) at 90deg to the sheet of plastic, held in place by the pins. Might need a fillet of silicone to seal. Then you could cast your shape using exopy resin, casting resin, concrete, plaster of paris etc. Lot of hassle, but worth it if you have a few to make.

Be careful whatever you cast with won't melt the plastic and use some form of strengthening in the casting to form a composite material - anything from string to chopped strand mat.


VxDuncan

2,850 posts

250 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
Actually, have you considered making a former (possibly similar to the above or using some old off cuts of wood), and building up the shape by laminating? Could build up the thickness either using paper, card, thin ply, string, carbon fibre etc depending what properties you required.

andy43

11,781 posts

270 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
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Carbon fibre. Definitely carbon fibre.

V12Les

3,985 posts

212 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
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Try your local window supplier and ask for "D Trim", about 20mm, very long and cheap, maybe what your after.

GreenV8S

30,922 posts

300 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
It sounds as if you want something that is flexible but will hold it's shape once bent, and torsionally stiff so you can hang stuff off the front without it twisting under the weight.

How many are you planning to make? Drawing the shape on a piece of plywood and zipping round with a jigsaw still seems like the most practical approach if you're only after a few. Depending how much of it is on show you could make it out of multiple smaller sections.

An alternative would be to bend it out of copper tube or something like that, but it would be tricky to get the shape right and the result would be a lot heavier and more fragile.