Table of Contents
Cutting the laminated arch boards
Step 3. Making the laminated handrail arch
Use the same template for the handrail arch as the beam arch (see picture).
Make the laminated handrail arch on top of the beam arch (which is still lying in place until the glue has dried) in the same way as the laminated arch beam was made, but use only two 90mm x 19mm x 2700mm (3/4″ x 3 1/2″ x 9ft) boards rather than four.
Be careful not to glue the handrail arch to the beam arch.
Step 4. Cutting the laminated arch boards
Using a power saw, cut the laminated arch boards in half. Rip (cut) along the length of both the beam and the handrail (see picture). This will give you two laminated arch beams and two laminated arch handrail frames.
Trim the ends of the arch beams to the dimensions shown in the plan.
Many thanks for the article on the laminated bridge. My daughter had asked me to build her a bridge to go over her pond, and after looking at many plans I decided that I could cope with your plan. I had been given a lot of mahogany by a friend who lives near by from a conservatory they had pulled down…
Harry from England
I need a arched bridge that would span a creek that is 12 feet wide with sloped banks
How do you cut the arch in two with a circular saw? (4) 1×4 beams laminated together will be 3 inches thick, but most circular saws can only cut to a depth of 2.5 inches. Also, that’s a long cut – how do you keep it straight?