Bending wood

[bbn]

How do you guys bend wood?

I've been pouring boiling water over the wood and then gently coaxing them.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/lcasambre/W17/IMG_0059_640x480.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/lcasambre/W17/IMG_0120_640x480.jpg

Broke one try to bend it cold
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/lcasambre/W17/IMG_0118_640x480.jpg

[timber715]

I haven't made anything that required me to use bent wood, but I think building a steamer trunk or box would be reasonable if you need to bend plenty or often.

[spyghost]

i saw an episode in new yankee workshop where he bent wood. he has a huge steamer though.

[bbn]

Thanks guys. I had the same thoughts however there is an opinion that tropical wood will not bend by steaming. They seem to based on what I've been doing though from what I seen it is not quite the same.

[timber715]

btw, are you gluing the bent wood or you making a form?

[chisel]

If steaming is not an option I usually re saw the wood about 1/8” thick enough for bending glue it and laminate it to a form, much stable than steam bending.

[timber715]

If steaming is not an option I usually re saw the wood about 1/8” thick enough for bending glue it and laminate it to a form, much stable than steam bending.
without a steamer, that is the best option imo...

[bbn]

Actually, that's already what I'm doing. The strips shown will be laminated one on top of the other so I get curved sticks that are each 20 mm thick.

I heard before that rattan can be bent with a blow torch. Is this true?

[guad]

I would be interested in something like this steamer (http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Products-282018-1-Gallon-Wallpaper/dp/B0009XEL4O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1273047172&sr=1-1), instead of having to improvise one. I wonder if these are available locally.

http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/portal/pics/spraytech/products/powerPrep/705-w14_product.jpg (http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/portal/wagner_705_spray,43321,747.html)

[workbench]

From what I've read, to be able to steam bend, you need to expose the wood to the hot steam for a good duration of time. This helps the heat and moisture penetrate deeper into the wood to soften the fibers and help in the bending process. Maybe we can get together for an experiment to try this.

[bbn]

Here is the result. Some springback but no problem really.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/lcasambre/W17/IMG_0121_640x480.jpg

[timber715]

I have been wanting to make a project out of bent wood, just not considered steamed... so how about a group project? problem is who gets it? must be the person who spends for the materials and merienda... :) hahahaha

[moji]

lncc,

What material do you use as your mold? Is that plywood?

[bbn]

Yes the thing the strips are being bent to has plywood sides with fiberglass laminated to the inside of each. The side are spaced by solid lumber blocks. The "mold" is the actual unit into which the strips will be bonded. The strips will provide additional area to bond the bottom panels which are three layers of 3 mm plywood. These "things" are the outer arms of the outriggers. They will take a lot of stress so they have to be built solid. In fact after I close the whole thing, a couple of layers of structural fiberglass will have to be bonded to the outer surfaces.