Should I Steam Oak before Bending It?
Chris Marshall: If the arc is gradual and the top “cap” piece of oak is less than, say, 3/8-in. or so thick, I don’t think I’d go to the effort of steam-bending it. I’d cut the dado, bend it gently around the plywood with a generous bead of glue applied and squeeze the two together with lots of clamps. If anything, the dado will make the oak more flexible and easier to bend, and it will also hide the edges of the plywood. For a thicker cap, however, steam-bending is good solution, provided the wood you’re using is air-dried and not kiln-dried. Kiln-dried lumber can crack if it’s steamed and bent. Or, if you have a band saw, you could resaw the oak into thin strips and glue them back together around an arched form. The glue joints alone will hold the curvature, but there might be a bit of “springback” when you release it from the form.
Whatever approach you take, a solid wood cap is the way to go. The only simpler option would be to use iron-on or self-stick oak veneer, but that won’t provide a high quality result. Go with your gut and stick with real wood. Keep it thin and it will bend just fine, with or without steam.