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Ash Strips

Leg strips are cut and placed around the bended form to create a curve.

From "Freeform Furniture"
episode DFFF-109

In this second segment host Amy Devers uses a band saw to cut the ash strips for the leg, and then she places them around the bended form to make a nice curve.

Host Amy Devers prepares the ash strips for the legs and puts them together.

Materials:

Jig drawing
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF--available at home improvement stores)
Spray adhesive
Respirator
Safety glasses
Dowels
Yellow glue
Screws
Ash
Cork sheeting
Packing tape
Push stick
Backer board
Urea formaldehyde glue
Spoon
Roller
Clamps
Glue scraper
Spokeshave
180-grit sandpaper
220-grit sandpaper
Wipe-on polyurethane
Cloth
Masking tape
Shims
Paintbrush
Cauls
Acrylic resin (tabletop)
Face shield
Carbide tipped blade
Bull nose bit
Hardboard fence
Abrasive for finishing acrylic surfaces
Spray bottle
Polyurethane
Silicone dots

Tools:

Band saw
Drill press
Disc sander
Flush trimmer
Hammer
Screw gun
Jointer
Planer
Table saw
Hand held router

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

Ash Strips

The legs are 2" wide and 4' long. You need to rough cut seven strips of ash per leg and each one needs to be 1/8" thick (figure A).
Laminate all of the strips together into the curved shape using the bending form.
Slice the strips on the band saw because it is the most efficient tool for re-sawing lumber.
Note: Re-sawing just means to cut thicker boards into thinner ones.
Before you start cutting, check for the drift of the blade. It is rare that a band saw ever cuts perfectly parallel to the edge of the table, so when you are cutting wood this thin, it is really helpful to account for the drift. To do this, take a piece of scrap wood that has a true edge and draw a parallel line.
Cut the line free hand to help determine the angle of the drift of the blade and the specific fence setting you will need to use.
Take the bevel gauge, which is a measuring tool, and set it firmly against the front of the table and adjust it to match the edge of the piece of wood to determine the amount of drift in the blade (figure B).
Set the fence, which is a straight guide, so that it matches the angle on the bevel gauge and set it to the desired thickness for the strips of ash.
Clamp the fence in place.
Using another traced scrap piece of lumber, make a test cut making sure the thickness is consistent throughout the strip.
With the blade on the band saw set, draw a triangle on an end of the ash. This helps to match the grain during and after the cutting process (figure C).
With the triangle facing out, cut the ash stock into strips. Keep the stock flush against the fence and push the stock in one fluid motion so you can get a clean cut.
After you complete one cut, take the stock to the jointer and clean up the band sawed edge. Use a push stick and guide the stock at a medium speed over the sharp blade (figure D).
With the wood squared, cut another strip for the legs of the café table on the band saw and go back to the joiner and clean up the edge.
Repeat the same process, cutting the strips of ash for the legs.
Join the stock piece so that it is square and continue until you have seven strips per leg.
Plane the laminations to 1/16th of an inch.
Use a backer board when planing wood under 1/8th of an inch. The backer board has a slippery surface which helps move the work piece through the planer.
Feed the strip of ash into the planer. As the wood is being planed off by the cutting head, have someone support the ash as it leaves the machine (figure E). When planing such thin wood, an extra set of hands can help prevent snipe and tearing.
Pass all the pieces through the planer one at a time until the band saw marks have been removed and the wood is smooth.
It is now time to glue, and for the gluing process use an urea formaldehyde glue. It is a resin based glue and super strong, so it will help prevent spring back in the lamination.
Safety Tip: Always wear a respirator when working with resin based glue.
With the mixture prepared, apply an even coat of glue onto the thin strip of ash. Sandwich one of the laminates to the glue piece.
Apply another coat of glue then another lamination. Repeat this process making sure to work quickly so the glue doesn't set up before the seven layered leg is complete.
With the strips of wood sandwiched together, bend the leg around the form and firmly clamp it down into position (figure F).
With all of the clamps in position, allow the glue to set up for a few hours before removing the clamps.