Bent wood table apron

[kg275]

Hi NC woodworkers,
I’m refinishing an Amish style oak pedestal table. It’s 48” round and extendable.

The apron is bent wood lamination, peeling in spots from dings. 43” interior diameter. It’s also scalloped and has some scrollwork. I’d prefer to replace it with a plain wood apron with none of those embellishments. I can’t do without an apron since the mechanism of the extender needs to be concealed.

Can anyone please point me to a source for bent wood pieces? Oak to match would be great, but really I can’t be picky. It would be fine if it came in quarters instead of halves. I called these folks because this seems to be the exact table, but they can’t source parts:

Traditional Single Pedestal Table

The Traditional Single Pedestal Table has a lot of options available that give you the ability to customize it the way you need to.

www.deutschfurniturehaus.com

Thanks so much!
KC

 

[JNCarr]

Have you thought of making them yourself? Really not that hard - oak is a good wood to glue-lam. You just need a ton of clamps!

 

[bob vaughan]

There is 1/4" bending plywood, probably from vendors to professional woodworkers. Three strips of that should make a good apron. Veneer with oak if you like. I think the bendable plywood is some sort of Luaun so it will be coarse grain to begin with although it will be vertical.

 

[Mike Davis]

I can make that or lead you through the process.
Basically build a form, cut strips, glue up, sand and finish.

 

[robliles]

There is a company called Pure Timber, LLC that has a product called "cold bend hardwood". They have a process that makes hardwood very bendable, no steaming involved. They can treat hardwood that is very difficult to bend, i.e. cherry, walnut, etc., and make it very easy to bend. For hardwoods that bend fairly easy, i.e. oak, ash, etc., the wood bends like butter. It is not cheap but works really well. This could be a source for your aprons. The wood arrives with a very high moisture content and would need to dry after it is bent to the required shape.

 

[kg275]

I can make that or lead you through the process.
Basically build a form, cut strips, glue up, sand and finish.

Thank you all for replying!

Mike, can I please take you up on that offer? I’m afraid I don’t have the tools or workspace to try to do it myself. May I please send you a message later when I’m home?

Thanks again!
KC

 

[bob vaughan]

A word of caution about fastening the apron to the top in the event the apron is made of bent wood. Consider another method of fastening besides pocket screws. Over time the pocket screw channel makes a weak spot in the bend that is subject to cracking.
The below is a table built in the last part of the 1800s or early 1900s that suffered apron failure because of that.

 

[Mike Davis]

Thank you all for replying!

Mike, can I please take you up on that offer? I’m afraid I don’t have the tools or workspace to try to do it myself. May I please send you a message later when I’m home?

Thanks again!
KC

Being a “new user” you will not be able to start a conversation in private. So I started one to which you may reply.

 

[JNCarr]

A word of caution about fastening the apron to the top in the event the apron is made of bent wood. Consider another method of fastening besides pocket screws. Over time the pocket screw channel makes a weak spot in the bend that is subject to cracking.
The below is a table built in the last part of the 1800s or early 1900s that suffered apron failure because of that.

Great observation, Bob. From the picture it looks like the apron grain is running horizontally and the table top grain in and out of the picture plane. So the growth/shrink differential stress will strain and yield at the weakest point - the pocket screw. Like any table, it's a good idea to float the top in the cross grain direction. Thanks for the excellent pictures.