Radiator cover

[phil]

wicker is poretty good that way. look how many put wicker furniture outdoors and it still seems to last pretty well. it doesn't absorb the same as wood. if it's bamboo it has closed cells, but I think wicker is a generic term.

[PaulJohnson]

I have built three radiator covers, so far - 4 more to go.
A learning from the one's that I have built is how to fasten the metal sheets. I have been stapling them in place and it has held up. What I have noticed is a slight sag (1/16") in the metal on the tops. For the next round i will use a thin piece of wood (3/4 wide x 1/4 thick) the length of the metal sheet to hold them in place. That should prevent any sagging.

Just wanted to share .... PJ

[Lily left the valley]

wicker is poretty good that way. look how many put wicker furniture outdoors and it still seems to last pretty well. it doesn't absorb the same as wood. if it's bamboo it has closed cells, but I think wicker is a generic term.

I checked, and it is used generically. Despite all the wicker pieces I've seen in full baths, I think maybe the thin nature is what concerned me, which in hindsight seems silly if it's sealed anyhoo.

[Lily left the valley]

I have built three radiator covers, so far - 4 more to go.
A learning from the one's that I have built is how to fasten the metal sheets. I have been stapling them in place and it has held up. What I have noticed is a slight sag (1/16") in the metal on the tops. For the next round i will use a thin piece of wood (3/4 wide x 1/4 thick) the length of the metal sheet to hold them in place. That should prevent any sagging. Just wanted to share .... PJ

This is great to know, thanks Paul.

[phil]

a small hand operated brake press would be handy for that sort of work but they take space so I don't own one. You might be able to design in ribs to give it strength. sometimes If I want to bend tin what I do is just clamp two pieces of angle iron together to trap the sheet, clamp a couple of metal bars near to the bend , or clamp it down and then use a stick or something and a hammer to coax the bend evenly. a bit of heat can help it "decide" where to bend, but the point is not to stretch it into a bubble shape.
I was lucky because a guy offered up some bits of brass and some of them are quite sturdy angle , that would work for corners too, easy to solder to.

one thing Ive always liked the look of is the combination of black walnut and brass, it looks luxurious.

[A.Fox]

Wood radiator covers warping:

Hi all! We recently had a woodworking shop create 3 radiator covers for our house where the original metal covers had gone missing. They were constructed with open metal grills on three sides, a partial height (above the baseboard) solid back. The tops are hinged for access to the valves with 3 recessed cabinet hinges along the back. The tops were constructed of solid wood with two boards running lengthwise. the edges were routed and a trim was applied below the lip for decorative effect. They were constructed with soft maple (the closest approximation we found to our 100 year old birch woodwork) and stained and lacquered.

But only a week after they were installed, the tops are starting to warp. The two in one bedroom are minimal, maybe 1/16" to 1/8", and I can only see the warp if I look at it. But in the other bedroom where the radiator runs hot even with the valve mostly closed, the warp has exceeded 3/8", but only on one end. On the other it is still flat. They have offered to remake the tops using plywood and an edge trim but if they warp again the cost is on us. Before we start messing with this, does anyone else have any ideas, or proven construction methods to prevent or reduce warping?

[Gothichome]

Sounds like the wood may not have been fully kiln dried or the heat from the radiator driving remaining moisture out of the wood. A good grade of ply might be the answer. For hiding the edge I think I would go with a solid wood decorative strip rather than the roll on edge trim.
Only other option I can think of is adding some weight to the bent corner for a long time hoping with many heat/cooling cycles it I’ll force it to lay flat.
Ron

[PaulJohnson]

I agree with Ron. The wood for the top may have have had some moisture in it. When I made mine, the moisture reading was around 7-8% and we have not seen any twists.

An option may be to vent the top. Rather than two solid pieces add metal sheeting and create a framed look. That way the heat has an escape route and doesn’t get trapped under the top.

Here is an example of one I built.

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