Brandon Campbell
Member
- Messages
- 8
Hello Everyone,
I am planning to build a large square parabolic sun reflector. After a lot of thinking and researching an economical way to accomplish this I've decided on using strip laminate bending to create the parabolic ribs of a grid to mount an array of square mirrors on. I have never done this type of thing before and my woodworking experience consists of building tree houses and skateboard ramps as a kid.
Based on what I understand, my plan so far is this is this: Lay up a bunch of long, thin wood strips and adhesive in a large parabola-shaped form, clamp them there, let them dry, and reapeat many many times.
I know I can handle building the form. My main concern is the wood springing back at all after I take it out of the form. In all the pictures I've seen of laminates this curve radii are much smaller that what I am going to attempt. ( My parabola will be around 8 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep) It needs to be as perfect a parabola as possible or the efficiency will go way down.
Do you guys have any tips on how to reduce or eleminate springback on such a shallow curve?
Thanks a lot.
I am planning to build a large square parabolic sun reflector. After a lot of thinking and researching an economical way to accomplish this I've decided on using strip laminate bending to create the parabolic ribs of a grid to mount an array of square mirrors on. I have never done this type of thing before and my woodworking experience consists of building tree houses and skateboard ramps as a kid.
Based on what I understand, my plan so far is this is this: Lay up a bunch of long, thin wood strips and adhesive in a large parabola-shaped form, clamp them there, let them dry, and reapeat many many times.
I know I can handle building the form. My main concern is the wood springing back at all after I take it out of the form. In all the pictures I've seen of laminates this curve radii are much smaller that what I am going to attempt. ( My parabola will be around 8 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep) It needs to be as perfect a parabola as possible or the efficiency will go way down.
Do you guys have any tips on how to reduce or eleminate springback on such a shallow curve?
Thanks a lot.