Wood Plank Benders - Rounding

[MintGum]

Wood Plank Benders - Rounding

 

Many styles to choose from.

 

1.) Besides those below are there any other styles of wooden plank benders to choose from?

2.) What style works best for you (electric, crimp, form, etc...)?

3.) Of course there are the clothes irons, hair curlers, etc...  if this is what you use which models do you recommend?

 

Micro Mark - Plank Bending Tool

 

Micro Mark - Plank Forming Jig

 

Hobbyist Haven - Wood Bending Tool - Same style on Amazon

 

Mantua 8150 Roller-Grp Plank Bender

 

New Port Crown Model - Plank Bender - Same style on Amazon

 

Aeropiccola Design ? - Soldering Iron Tip Plank Bender

 

Amati - Form a Strip

 

Epic Engravers - Rubber Roller Plank Bender

 

Electric Plank Bender

Edited December 29, 2025 by MintGum

[Y.T.]

If this one is still available from anywhere it is the only one worth considering. I have original Aeropiccola like this. To my opinion all the rest are not good.

 

[MintGum]

12 hours ago, Y.T. said:

If this one is still available from anywhere it is the only one worth considering. I have original Aeropiccola like this. To my opinion all the rest are not good.

 

How many watt soldering iron would be appropriate for this?  They are sold on ebay with a 60W soldering iron and "mini shovel".  The picture says 100W but the dropdown selection says 60W...

 

 

 

[MintGum]

After communicating with several of the various Ebay sellers of this bender, the included soldering iron is a 220V model with a China electrical plug.  What that means is that when it is operated @ 220V it will output 100W but when plugged into a US outlet (with an adapater if necessary) @ 110V it will only output 25W.  If it's the 60W model it will only operate @ 15W in the US.  The suggestion was that the bender and mini shovel be purchased separate and that the US buyer obtain a soldering iron with 100W output on US 110V.

 

Has anyone purchased this bender/shovel and/or successfully found a compatible soldering iron that outputs @ 100W on US 110V?

[Y.T.]

I have been through this.the 220 V device will provide you not enough power to bend any planks. currently I am using Weller’s 110 V soldering iron 80 W power and the head from AeroPiccola plank bender which fits right into it. 
 

 

[Gregory]

Why 100w?

 

I have this 60w iron and it will burn wood.

 

$26

[MintGum]

15 minutes ago, Gregory said:

Why 100w?

 

I have this 60w iron and it will burn wood.

 

$26

 

It doesn't have to be 100W.  I was using that figure as it is what the soldering iron that comes with the ebay bender/shovel was advertised at.

[MintGum]

28 minutes ago, Y.T. said:

I have been through this.the 220 V device will provide you not enough power to bend any planks. currently I am using Weller’s 110 V soldering iron 80 W power and the head from AeroPiccola plank bender which fits right into it. 
 

 

 

Definitely a viable option.  Thank you for pointing this out.

[Dziadeczek]

My homemade plank heat-bending iron is a modified Weller 80 Watts 110 Volts soldering iron, with a fashioned head from brass, I use for many years (~ 30+). You can obtain a brass rod of the same or very similar thickness as the rod that comes with the iron, shape its end in an angle, replace it in your iron and use it for your plank bending, or mount on it a crescent shaped head also from brass (alternatively from aluminum). Both the rod and the disc (later on shaped to a crescent by you) can be obtained from specialty shops dealing with industrial metals, or from some scrap metals.

 

Probably 60 Watts iron would be still OK, I think... Remember you have to have temps of about 1/3 less than for soldering, otherwise there is a danger of burning the planks instead of bending them.

Edited December 31, 2025 by Dziadeczek

[MintGum]

7 minutes ago, Dziadeczek said:

My homemade plank heat-bending iron is a modified Weller 80 Watts 110 Volts soldering iron, with a fashioned head from brass, I use for many years (~ 30+). You can obtain a brass rod of the same or very similar thickness as the rod that comes with the iron, shape its end in an angle, replace it in your iron and use it for your plank bending, or mount on it a crescent shaped head also from brass (alternatively from aluminum). Both the rod and the disc (later on shaped to a crescent by you) can be obtained from specialty shops dealing with industrial metals, or from some scrap metals.

 

Probably 60 Watts iron would be still OK, I think... Remember you have to have temps of about 1/3 less than for soldering, otherwise there is a danger of burning the planks instead of bending them.

 

This is also a nice setup.  The crescent shape would need to be custom machined or just cut a brass disc in half.  Brass rod of the appropriate diameter for the soldering iron would be enough.  Riveting the two together... would need to machine an end onto the brass rod and drill an offset hole in the crescent.  Very doable for those with a mill.  Might even be able to do this with hand tools.  Machine shops are expensive though, need to get myself a mill... 😁