Great idea!

I've always just forced the Masonite to follow the curve, and found that it tends to crack if it encounters an edge of something hard (like benchwork) as it's trying to conform.  Around my helix I have a curved Masonite wall, but it's an outside curve rather than an inside curve like your wall.  I suppose it'll work that way if I wet the front and curve it backwords.  Since it's already taken somewhat of a set, perhaps re-doing it this way will help the edges fit flush rather than trying to spring out...  Let's try it the next time you come over!

    Paul

Trade Show Displays

Our company has exhibit builders as customers hence my limited familiarity with the trade show building biz. Having been in their shops I have seen jigs and fixturing very similar to your process. Clearly it must work well.

Outside curves

Mr. Paul,

The process will work either way; however, you should always wet the rough (unfinished) side.  The idea is the moisture soaks through almost all the way to the finished side allowing for easy bending.  We can give it a try our next get together at your place.  Just make sure you have screw type C-clamps (not the ga-zillion spring clamps that you have for masonite spline roadbed!).

Rick

Fixtures & jigs

LK&O,

Thanks for your input.  As I think about this furture, an improvement might be to add pulleys to the C-clamps and weights (or a spring) to the end of the rope to "automate" the tensioning of the rope as the hardboard "relaxes".

Rick

(or a spring) to the end of

We have electric wire fencing on two of our pastures. It is the same wire Joe's DVDs show being used for bottle brush trees. The wire is low tension wire (versus high tension cattle wire) so it doesn't tolerate impact well (deer). There is also temperature induced expansion/contraction between the seasons. It is amazing how much this changes the length of a 1,000' run of wire (distance between anchored posts).

I installed springs at the anchor posts to alleviate both of these issues - keep the slack out in the summer/tightness in the winter and flex when deer bump the wire. It is working well however, and relative to this thread, I have found by trial and err that a surprisingly strong spring is needed. Bending your Masonite I suspect would require even more of a spring than that holding fence wire taught. Might be enlightening to put a strain gauge on the rope before you invest money in springs.

How about a small "come-along?"

After looking at your pic of the set up with the ropes and c-clamps, I'm thinking a "come-along" tied to the rope and the last c-clamp might work.  The other idea would be to eliminate the rope entirely and just let out the cable of a come-along and weave it through the c-clamps.

Tightening the rope

LK&O,

Good point on the spring.  Because the rope is looped through a number of C-clamps it acts much like a block and tackle effectively reducing the amount of pull necessary at the rope "free" end.  I'm leaning more towards a weight because a spring has different "pull" values based on how far it is stretched wherein a weight would put a constant pull on the rope through the entire travel distance.  A tension guage would be very helpfu also.

Rick

Come-along

Russ,

I like your idea of using a come-along.  If one was used I believe it would be best to pull the rope by hand first to get a feel on how much tension is being put on the hardboard and then use the come-along to pull up the slack.  Using the entire line of the come-along without a rope is also interesting.

Rick

Weight Better

I like your weight idea better than springs. Amazing how many uses I have found for these beyond their original purpose.

Mail me one!

LK&O,

I would imagine these "Dear John" weights would be very handy.  Can you mail me one?  You may need more than one stamp!

Rick

If those are the same JD counter weights I had

each one weighs 50 Lbs and slip over the front bumper to counter balance the backhoe and other attachments.

Rich are you bending the hard board to eliminate the ceiling to wall corners? Just wondering because I did it a little different and did not do the ceiling to wall curves I just did the Wall to wall corners. I made some Corner brackets to nail to see the photos below:

First I mount the corner Brackets cut at a 24 inch radius with 1X2 Douglas Fir strips cut to fit the square edges to attach the corner Brackets to the wall. The top one was attached at 44 inches above the table top then I attached the bottom bracket on the table top and finally I split the difference between the two and mounted the middle corner bracket. I then attached 1X2 inch by 8 foot long Douglas fir strips at the three corner bracket locations along the wall to nail the hard board to.

 When I built the table tops I made sure they were as square and level as I could possibly get them. Then when I placed each piece of hard board on the back drop location the ends were square on both ends where the next sections would be attached.

I placed these Curved Corner nailing brackets at each corner and screwed the 1X2 stringers around all walls that would get the Hard board back drops. After all the Hardboard was hung I just used Dry wall Joint tape and Topping plaster to smooth out the vertical seams. Next after all the joints were smooth I coated the joints with acrylic (light blue) paint and let it dry.  Painting just the seams allows you to see that the joints or seams are smooth and pretty much invisible and if not painting will show any places needing more topping or sanding.  Once your satisfied the joints look seamless I painted the rest of the walls with the light Sky blue as a base.

I didnt worry about the curve along the ceilings to wall so I didn't need to pre-curve the hard board and didn't need the brackets. I did this on my last Model RR and it stayed in place for about 11 years or until the Northridge California 7.8 and 7.6 earthquakes in 1994 hit and one of the corners broke loose and tipped slightly. The Railroad would have survived had the roof not co-laps on smashed through the landscape and everything but that's another story.

I like you Idea of bending the hard board if it's for ceiling curvature mounting. I just Pressed the Masonite into the corners to follow the curve contour after nailing the first edge square on just one end and had my wife lean on it while I nailed it in place.

One other thing not shown in the photos is I added 1X3 inch Douglas fir filler along the vertical edges to allow me to tape the edges without them bowing in and out as I taped them.

Dan

Nice work, Dan!

Dan,

Very nice work on your layout!  To answer your question about the "why":  Although it certainly is more work to provide curved (coved) corners that are floor to ceiling, I wanted to do them so if / when I remove the layout I wouldn't have to do any wall work.

Looking at your pictures I find the corner braces interesting.  I use solid corner braces but like your plywood design better.  I'm going to incorporate them into the mounting of my curved piece once it's ready.  Your idea about painting the joints to show imperfections is also a good one!

For your mounting you said "I just Pressed the Masonite into the corners to follow the curve contour after nailing the first edge square on just one end and had my wife lean on it while I nailed it in place."  This is where I ran into problems trying to bend a 8 foot high piece.  Believe me, trying to bend a 8 foot piece is much more difficult than bending a 4 foot high piece!  You would think that it would only be twice as hard, but I'd say it felt more like 10X!  This is why I started pre-bending them.

Thank you for your pictures and sharing your ideas!

Rick

Wall Mounting

Rick's post originally peaked my interest because I too want the curved Masonite backdrop but I do not want it affixed to the wall. An overarching "Given" that I am designing by is to make it painless as possible in the event we sell our house. This precludes attaching Masonite to the walls. Rick's method of introducing a relaxed natural curve into the Masonite means much less substantial mounting requirements to the bench-work.

50#, 100#, 200# JD weights all feel like 10,000# when you drop one on your foot! A painful memory from mounting the blade two week's ago in preparation for the winter season.

Come-along with a strain gauge.

If you are not sure how much pressure you are exerting with the come-along and don't want to accidently break the board, you could install a strain gauge inline with the come-along to see how much pressure you are putting on the board.

Rick nailing one side first is the secret

Trying to bend Masonite Hardboard is a pain but I have stood the Hardboard on end and it will confirm to the desired radius if you first square the base and one edge and then nail the squared edge permanently in place. This is Half the battle. Next start in the center of the panel and press it into the center curved bracket and have someone hold it. Then it helps if you have a nail gun with 2 inch nails and sink two 1 inch apart  working up to the next curved Bracket two more nails then move down to the curved bracket below the center and keep moving up and down until you have 6 brackets nailed down the center. Next move to the un-nailed edge and start tacking nails 2 inches in from the edge again start in the center 4 foot from top & bottom. then move to the bracket above and then skip to the bracket below center until your hardboard is attached to both edges and down the middle.

I have one advantage doing this and that is I'm just over 6ft tall and weigh 260+ pounds so, I'm able to press the hardboard up against the brackets by leaning against it and keep it tight against the curve of the corner brackets while I'm nailing. If you have a couple of friends that can help you it makes the whole thing a lot easier. I do like your method of bending the Hardboard as that should help greatly with the nailing of the curve into place. Next time I do a full 8 foot corner I will be trying your way as it looks to cut down on the mussel needed to bend the corner into place.

Dan

Dan method

Dan,

Thank you for your method - it sounds like it will work well.....especially if I could borrow your 6ft + / 260lbs muscle!

Rick

Curving Hardboard the Easy Way

Thanks for this recommendation, you are correct in stating that this is a pain and trying shall cuts was a non-starter.

Straps on your hardboard curving apparatus.

 You got a nice  looking system there. Somebody said a little come-a-long might help. This made me think of one of those ratchet tye downs you get for holding your motorcycle ,four wheeler, or pile of brush in the back of your PickUp. Just my  $.02. I used matte board on mine with the curved supports in back and then spackled in the edges. Been up about 6 yrs now without too much trouble. Ya never know though, other folks eyes see stuff you've gotten used to. My freinds have'nt said anything though.  BILL in Idaho

Ratchet style tie down

Bill in Idaho,

The ratchet style hold downs sounds like a great idea!  Thanks!

Rick

Ratchet tie downs

These sould line a GREAT idea!  Since they're long enough, we could get by with only a few C-clamps to hold the edge supports to the sheet, and wrap the straps completely around the curved sheet.  We'll give it a shot when next you come to operating night at my house!

    Paul

There's a much simpler way to do this

Or so I found out this summer unintentionally.  Just leave a partial sheet wedged into the side of your uncovered utility trailer outside for six or seven weeks during the rainy season.  Make sure there's a used metal utility shelf in th etrailer for the Masonite to drape over.  Walk away.  The alternating water, sun, and gravity will do the rest.  I'll try to post a pic later today or tomorrow.

Utility trailer method

Phillip,

I like your method!  The humidity and natural weight of the hardboard did the trick.

Rick

Wouldn't it be easier to buy

Wouldn't it be easier to buy bendable plywood or bendy MDF?

I don't know that bendable plywood or bendy mdf is any

more flexible than hardboard.  Any material that you expect to take a set, once bent will be somewhat difficult to bend.  The easiest thing to bend would be cardboard, but it would not have enough inherent strength to serve as a coved corner.