Bonsai shaping: how masters bend a large tree trunk about 10 points thick

In practical bonsai shaping, we often come across raw material whose trunk shape is not ideal and needs to be bent into the desired form. Small branches are of course easy to bend, but when it comes to a large trunk, bending becomes rather difficult and is not something the average person can do. Let us look at the raw material below and learn how a bonsai expert bends it:

Use a chisel to cut a groove at the stress point where the bend is needed, with the grooved area aligned with the direction of the bend.

Use an angle grinder to deepen the groove to about half the trunk diameter. If you do not have an angle grinder, use a chisel and put in more effort.

As always, wrap it with palm fiber or cloth strips for protection to prevent breakage. Place a piece of leather or another soft material at the stress point for protection, and find a thick wooden stick to prop against the part of the trunk that needs to be bent.

Press the trunk down in the direction opposite to where the wooden stick is propping, in order to make the bend. This is a job that takes strength and needs helping hands. Then use self-tightening wire to fine-tune it to the desired state.

In the same way, this method can also be used to bend relatively thick and stiff branches.