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First Steam Bending Experience

Blog entry by Iffy posted 585 days ago 216 reads 0 times favorited 4 comments Add to Favorites Watch

I had to create a curved piece of wood for a built-in desk so I decided to try bending it with a steam box. I posted a pictoral over on my personal blog: http://teamsavoy.com/2008/04/full-steam-ahead/


4 comments so far

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9521 posts in 882 days


posted 585 days ago

You can’t avoid springback. The trick is to make a form with a tighter curve than you will need.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View Thuan's profile

Thuan

203 posts in 711 days


posted 583 days ago

Being lazy and a total miser when it comes to wood, I have this idea where you bend then piece of wood, let it spring back all it wants, use that as a template/ bearing guide for the curve of the desk when you route it and then use that again as the edge?
Team Savoy Rant is hilarious!

-- Thuan

View tenontim's profile

tenontim

1319 posts in 638 days


posted 583 days ago

Iffy, like GaryK said, bend it a little sharper than you need and I leave my pieces in the form for several days, so they can not only cool but dry out some. Remember, you’re not only heating the wood up, you’re forcing moisture into it. I’ve had a minimum of spring back by using this method.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

View tenontim's profile

tenontim

1319 posts in 638 days


posted 567 days ago

Iffy, I was looking at your personal blog on your steam bend, and I also wanted to tell you that you have about 15-20 seconds to get the wood bent to the shape you want. The quicker you can do this, the less springback you will have.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

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