Bending a 1 x 4 the easy way

Steam them. That's how they bent 6" thick white oak planking. Ought to work for pine 1x4...or pretty much any 1x4. Usually for small stock like your 1x4 they recommend using stove pipe for a steam tube, put the wood in the pipe and an elbow above your pot of boiling water. Plug the end of the pipe LOOSELY with rags so some steam comes out but not all of it. Leave it an hour and try. Steam more if it's not enough. Small 3/8" spruce planking for canoes only needed 1/2 hour according to Dad.
 
Bending to a 4-6 foot radius is asking a lot for an 1" board.
You could try steaming it like they do in boat work.
 
Depends on what you're trying to do, but I'd do a bunch of kerf cuts on the inside side. beats waiting for steam, and it'll be very stable.

If you're nailing something like a rounded piece of plywood to it, you won't see the cuts, and it'll be plenty strong enough if you don't make the cuts too deep.
 
If you can tolerate some reduction in strength, you can soak it in ammonia. Makes wood very bendable.
 
Not the easy way, but if you have a hardwood supply close, try two layers of 3/8. Build a jig out of L shaped blocks, roll with hyde glue, and clamp to jig blocks.
 

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