I’ve been reading about the new router bit set for making tambour doors. I was all set to order them but, when thinking about it, I began to wonder if the doors wouldn’t be apt to wrack or twist so they would jam. Have any of you had any experience with them?
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Replies
I would think it has more to do with the width v.s. height of the door, wider but less tall might tend to bind. Waxing the tracks would make a huge difference.
Not to send you away, but you'd find a lot more help for this over at the woodworkers forum http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages.
~ Ted W ~
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I've made both Roll top desks, and keyboard consoles with tambours. Never had an issue, if made to the proper tolerances and well lubed.
All were simple half rounds glued with white glue to a canvas backing. The canvas does not go into the travel grooves. Glue up on large FLAT table with clamps both keeping the slats tight, and weighted clamp board from above. when dry, rack and roll the sheet / assembly to break any sticklers, and promptly apply finish.
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Some tambours have been made with only a couple strips of canvas instead of the full-width backing of canvas. These are flimsier, so i always use full-width canvas, minus the groove allowance.
Like Malo, i make tambours with half-rounds. I glue on about 5 at a time, clamped under a board, to the backing to ensure they'll remain straight. It's also useful to mark lines every so often perpendicular to the selvedge on the canvas as a guide to keeping the slats glued down parallel to one another.
The wider the tambour, the larger the slats. This may seem obvious, but when you talk about ordering a special tambour-making bit, i wonder if the size it produces will serve the purpose for which you intend.
I use white glue that dries clear. It remains flexible where yellow glue is both more obvious if you get it spread too far and more brittle - not a good match with fabric.
I made the tambour for the microwave cabinet using contact cement so no clamps needed.
1. Coat the canvas and the slats with contact cement and let dry.
2. Coat them again and let dry.
3. Stick the slats on.
They've been there 12 years - used every day - and no probs.
What we gain in grip, we lose in touch. R. Kipling
Very interesting. What brand and base (solvent v. water) of contact cement did you use?