How do I get the plywood to curve for an upholstery repair?

[KM7]

I'm having the upholstery redone on my 92 Four Winns.
The bow cushions on the sidewalls are curved to match the inside walls on the bow seating area.
On the Starboard side, the wood was rotten. I'm replacing it.

I have duplicated the pattern using a mirror image of the port side.
Now I have to get it to curve.
How do I do that?
Soak in water with bricks on it ???
Some other method?
3/8 thick 3 layer plywood

 

[alldodge]

Need to make sure your using exterior ply.
Steam I think works best, but most don't have the option. Need to bend it a little at a time unless there is not much there. Spray water on it and try to clamp into a form. Bricks can work if you can get them to do what you want.

You could take a couple 2x6 or 8 and cut the curve, then use clamps to hold it to the curve

 

[sphelps]

You could also cut kerf lines in the plywood secure it to the desired radius then fill the kerf with epoxy or poly pb and a layer of glass ...Once cured it will keep its shape and add water resistance ..

 

[fishrdan]

You'll need to bend the plywood about 2x the curve if soaking in water since it will rebound. Soak it in water, weigh it down to get the desired bend, then let it dry. You may have to do this several times, adding more weigh, to get the proper bend.

I made a curved bow deck for my jon boat with this method, worked well. I used lifting weights to bend the wood, couple hundred pounds.

 

[gm280]

It really depends on how much of a bend you are talking about. A mere curve is one easy thing to accomplish, but a 90 degree bend takes a little more time and patience to accomplish. If you are using plywood, the thickness determines the options. The thicker the plywood the more you would have to cut kerf lines like sphelps suggested. Those kerf line cuts on the inside of the bend removes wood that would keep it from bending inwards. So the number of kerf cuts would have to be in proportion to the bend. And water on the outside portion helps as well because it will swell the wood. So experiment and see what you can do without breaking the wood. Slow and steady is the recipe. JMHO

 

[Woodonglass]

I'd highly recommend cutting 3/16@ kerfs bending ply wood by wetting it is not a good idea IMHO

 

[Bigtrout29]

Hey look up friscoboater on you tube he did a video on how he curved his really good video

 

[fishrdan]

Just re-read your post and thought you were just looking for a slight bend as in a seat back, but looks like you're trying to get a 90* bend, have a pic you could post?... Agree with the others about kerfing the plywood if making a tight bend.