How To Make A Monitor Stand / Riser By Bending Wood At Home!! 

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I'm a model ship maker and have replaced many many frames in a few old wooden boats. I soak my wood in Ammonia, the weak STORE BOUGHT Ammonia!!! I put the wood planks in a trough and the frames in a PVC pipe, (cap off one end of course) then fill it with the weak STORE BOUGHT Ammonia. Let it soak over night, then pull it out, wipe it off and work in the bend and clamp it till its dry. It works great! I can also bend curves in flat pieces of wood without the wood buckling, you need a jig for that. It really works. Some of the color, mahogany, will leach out of the wood turning the weak STORE BOUGHT Ammonia red, that's ok because after your wood dries, you can use the red weak STORE BOUGHT Ammonia as a stain and restain the mahogany with it's own pigment!

Here's a few tips for anyone trying to do this. First, submerge the board for a few hours, even a day or two, in a tub of water. Give it plenty of time to soak and soften. Second, temporarily reinforce the outside of the bend with a piece of sheet metal tightly clamped to the board to prevent the wood from blowing out. Third, over bend the wood slightly. It will spring back a bit once it dries. Fourth, keep the wood clamped in place until it sets in the desired curve shape. Fifth, after it is dry and set, it may be bent a little more (be careful not to overbend) and glued as needed.

Good edits, a bit of humor and humility, and music that isn't too loud or annoying! Great vid!

That looks so good. BTW thanks for showing the lessons learned with the walnut. Those kinds of "This is why this didn't work." Helps the rest of us not make the same mistakes or know we need to adjust for the different variables. Thanks

yeah, in case you were wondering. this is not how you bend wood. 1) normally you would wet the wood for at least 8 hours previous to bending. that is for 1mm thickness, so it should be roughly applicable you will often see people prep their wood the previous day. 2) forget about the steam. by the time you go back to your bench the effect of that steam is gone. its also a great way to completely warp your board. there are enough other ways to heat the wood. heating blankets, flat iron, heat gun, etc. 3) in general this kind of kerfing really isnt great. i know all the youtubers are obsessed with it lately, but it only really works well when under compression (which - in all fairness - it kinda is in this case). Doing a veneer lamination, proper steam or chemical bending or constructing this out of multiple pieces would all yield stronger and better looking results. 4) the glue here does almost nothing. PVA wood glue only works well with no gaps and good glueing pressure. I would be surprised if he got more than 2 or 3 mm of proper glue connection - if even. If you really gotta glue this kind of stuff use glue that can actually fill gaps. Like epoxy. 5) it would really help if you had a block in the middle which you could clamp up against. this would both help with the force you can apply, keeping the geometry and allowing you to keep it clamped to reduce springback. 6) in general bending tight corners compared to the material thickness should be done with the help of a metal sheet. this helps to apply pressure evenly, allows easy reheating and keeps wood fibers from ripping out, etc etc. this really is more of a “how not to” than anything else. Making videos trying new stuff out is cool. Failure is part of the process. But since this is presented as a how to video i really gotta say: please look up a proper video instead unless you want to use a ton of materials and time for a crappy result

This is a great video. I appreciate how you put your fails in on your journey to your ultimate success. Those things that didn't work are as important as the things that did work for the next guy. I would recommend if you're going to use cold water to just iron it with an iron. That will create steam inside the wood and allow you to bend it easier. Also I would recommend you put shellac on first, then you're stain, then your topcoat. Poplar wood accept stains uneven, and a wash coat of shellac will allow it to be an even color.

I don't comment very often. But that video and what u did is truly amazing!! I've been a carpenter over 30 yrs and never seen anything like that! Back in early 1990s when I was an apprentice, my boss did such beautiful finish carpentry work, in 4 million dollar homes and some of his woodwork was even photographed, for better homes and gardens magazine. But that lil trick u did, was therapeutic, just to watch. But dammit, Now I'm gonna have to go and build the same thing, for no reason, other than to show people and say look, I built that, by majically bending the wood, with my mind powers. Hahahaha!! Good job and phenomenal woodworking skills. If ur this crafty now, I can't imagine what u will be capable of when you've been at it 33yrs. Thanks for the video young fella and Def keep up the good work.

can we agree that routers are the most magical tool in the workshop

Came out pretty cool, it is something I am going to try. I did see someone else do this with 3/4" stock and he made 1/4" cuts and had no trouble with the bends, he didn't even soak or steam it. Good job.

Very impressive! Thanks for sharing. Also the music in the video started an impromptu dance party.

I like that you mess up and show it... Saves me money, I will buy popler if I try this and use steamy hot water. Oh, and sand it before I bend it. 😁 Thanks! End result looks great congrats!

nice vid i like that you show your failures and dont pretend you did it in one try. the project came out nice

Brother you have a patient hand. I swear if I heard that walnut crack when it was time to bend, the broken off piece would end up sticking out of the drywall after I flew it across the room.

Great looking project. The harder the woods don't bend as well even with kerfing them. I've usually do my kerfed projects out of MDF and then veneer over them with the finished wood I want. Has the added advantage of not needing to be steamed.

Two things: 1. Heat. Bending is best accomplished with the direct application of heat to the solid surface. It makes the fibres of the wood more pliable so they don't split under stress. A really good place to start is watching luthiers like Ted Woodford building acoustic guitars. Those guys have got bending wood nailed. The role of water is to aid in the efficient transmission of heat, the idea being that it's evaporated off quite quickly, avoiding saturation and warping of the wood.. 2. Strap clamps. Three strap clamps wrapped around the long axis of the shelf will hold your curves where you've cut them. Bar clamps aren't the best choice. I'd also consider slotting something into the fold to hold it in place. The feet looked ever-so-slightly off the horizontal. Cool idea, though, and very well executed, given that you were clearly working it out as you went. I love seeing processes like this. There's no substitute for the expertise you gain simply by working out the solution to a problem.

always cool to see stain get put on wood

Working as a wood crafter for 30+ years I find the tip and tricks every day. One thing I would like to say is Grate job on the project . (Wal Nut is one of the most difficult types of wood to work with )

Hey , try this . In Chemistry , we put tongue depressors in a test tube of Ammonia gas . It was actually , a little ammonia liquid , sealed in a tube with the wood over night . It turns the wood into rubber , and you can bend it , and stretch it like a rubber band . And if you clamp it in position till it drys out , it will stay deformed . I never tried it with any thick wood , but I imagine , it would just take longer to saturate . Why it works , is that wood is made of Cellulose , [ flexible] , and Lignum [ the glue binder ] . The Ammonia temporarily breaks down the cross-link binding , and it turns to rubber . Caution , Pure Ammonia is bad stuff to breath in , youll need a respirator , and well ventilated or outside work place . If you had thin sheets of solid venier , you could form them into a shape , like a mask .

that looks awesome. I like how you are open about any missteps you've made and made recommendations keep em coming

I have just begun joinery. This looks great. Will try in the future.

i love how you say if you dont like the video for some reason hit the like button

Obrigado, sempre desejei fazer algo assim mas até agora não tive sucesso. Vou fazer esta técnica

Lots of mistakes but he's young and learning and most importantly, trying to do a good job. Great video. Keep it up.

I’m watching the sanding start and thinking, “Ah man… I think I’d have sanded before I bent it.” Seconds later… “Do yourself a favor and sand before you bend anything.” Looks really good! And I think the mahogany stain on the poplar got it to exactly what you were hoping for. Great work!

That finish turned out great! The coats of shellac really brought it home.

Amazing job! Thanks for cheering

BahahhHahhahaha yeah in my mind I was like WHY WOULD YOU TEST ON WALNUT!?!?!

Thank you for posting your wood bending video and for including the times that it did not work. Kudos for you for that. Definitely going to try and bend pine wood that is also soft-'ish' wood - I'm from South Africa so this will definitely work here

Great video. Showing how it went wrong makes it so much more relatable 👍

Thank you for sharing your talents and experiences. I am a woodworking stalker, too afraid to try myself! I might give this a try!

totally using this idea to make my entertainment stand/ record player stand

I liked that you showed a failure, a great lesson learned: some woods are not meant for bending (at least to this degree). *Very* nice product you made, well done!

Awesome looking. All the hard work looks like it paid off. Interesting way to make a monitor stand. 👍👍

I usually buy mini paint rollers glue them on round stock then wrap with sand paper put them on a drill and give it a spin. Cool design though.

Great effort, always steam and alway bend using a jig so you don’t over bend it. And of course always take into account when you remove anything from a jig it always relaxes back a degree or two.

Dunno how I ended up here, never really been interested in woodwork but, this makes me want a table saw that was a pretty awesome creative journey.

Great job man. Turned out looking really good.

Nice job my friend. Not walnut but looks awesome! Walnut is tough. I loved this video. I will try myself. Thank you .

im not gonna make anything like this myself but it was satisfying to watch

Awesome work, you are a genius. Wish you luck.

beautiful, thanks .

This pretty clear, will like to try

Imagine cutting it to place a LED light, would look futuristic. Amazing job.

Your pup through the warp pipe was so amazing that I had to subscribe solely on that!! You are also very talented at everything you do!

Great job. Thank you for all the info

The lignin between the wood fibers is brittle when it is cold, and the fibers themselves when they are dry. As your excellent video illustrates.

WOW! Thats very impressive. Will be giving this a try for sure

Awesome👍👏😊 working

Beautiful!

Nice! Well done!

While bending it you have to keep it exposed to the steam constantly so that the wood fibers don't break under the stress. Also, one of the good ways to cut the part that is going to bend is to cut it into a triangular shape, but it's time consuming.

Dry cool process.

Beautiful!!!!

Wow!! Great stain color choice!

Thanks for sharing that is nice

You got me on : "I've learned this the hard way " LOL!

Really nicely done and inspiring! Most of my woodworking is photo frames...I'm thinking about making a frame where the open end at the bottom holds the photo, and the flat top part is up on the wall. I also appreciate how you kept in the part where the walnut piece didn't go as planned. I'm glad it's not just me who has those moments!

Dude! Wonderful! Thanks for sharing this!

Quite impressive!

Beautifully done !

tq..for ideas 💡 i got open my mind

Great Job.

Not perfect on the edge banding solution to hide the cuts.. but man it looks gorgeous for a first try. I learned a lot, thank you!

Why was I all tense when he was bending the second one??? I’m with ya bud!!!!! Great work! Gives me an idea!

I haven't seen it in the comment section but another tip is to flood the cuts with glue before you start bending. This will make sure that there is something in those voids to take the weight of the TV/Monitor. That glue looks like its PVA based, so it is water soluble while its wet. I'd water it down very slightly so it penetrates into the cuts and into the wood. Might even add some fine sawdust to it.

I had no idea what Kerf cutting is, thanks PS gorgeous work

Patience is a virtue my friend. Let it soak longer and it will bend easier. But nice work none the less 👌

You did well. I like it so much. 👏👏👏👏

Great job! I've always wanted to do that! Awesome video!!! I appreciate your honest thoughts throughout the video!

That is a piece of art. Great job!

Definately beautiful. Thanks many millions

wow really love it. very nice

Yeah that’s awesome dude. I’d definitely give this a go.

Incredible idea, good skill.

You were one the right track. You can use a hot water kettle and a plastic bag to steam the wood.

Very cool project! Looks very nice.

Good job. Beautiful.

You did a great job on that project. Thank you for taking the time to share your process and challenges and helping us all learn. Keep it up! Cheers 👍😎🇦🇺

Awesome trick

A shame the walnut had to break, but holy-moly, that poplar stand turned out beautifully! Especially after you stained and varnished it. Very, very well done! By the way... Thank you for the wood curling lesson. You made it look so easy.

I think that turned out really great! well done

Nice finish

final product looks awesome!

This is awesome! Love the Office clips! 😂 You have a new sub and I don't even work with wood but I could watch this all day. 😉👍

Beautiful

Very good! Thank you very much from Belarus!

Nice video! Thanks for sharing. Nice work. I made a commission piece (coffee table) with curved legs. I used walnut milled to 3/32" then formed 13 strips around a frame made of stacked MDF using every clamp I had. Using a quart of Titebond. When cured, cut it flush on the table saw. The glue joints were invisible. The glue proved to soften the wood enough to bend.

Thanks good work

I love the cable managment, I'm not the worst one outta here :D

Well done. Looks good.

Brilliant man wow,,,,,,,,,South Africa

Very nice!

This looks amazing

I just bought an ergotron lx, best purchase for my gaming setup

looks pretty

You have my subs and like for the amount of concentration one needs to put in precision art.

I’m amazed,Good job well done.

Amazing.

I like your style very much