Blog entry..Winter Awards 2008 (Added pics...teasers though ;) )

NPDH!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I never would have tried to steam bend a framing 2×4. I would have done a bent lamination. I have an idea the soft wood of the 2×4 will not accept steam bending the way that harder woods will.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Sorry about the problems. I understand that HD still has some 2X4’s in stock if you want to try bent laminations.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Lamination is the way to go.

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

nothing ventured

nothing gained

that what doesnt steam well and bend, generally doesnt bend well without steam

you cant have both in one step, or even two ar three or more steps, patience and as many as needed. It’s a lot like cooking.

steam the laminations and bend

steam the laminations again and bend again

then steam and glue the laminations when ready

those who never made a mistake, never did much.

Cheers

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

I feel your pain.
I tried and failed at bending this stuff.
I will go with what roman said, it did not bend well no matter how thin I cut it for laminations.
But I am sure you can do it, you got the skills.

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

I can relate more than you know. Good luck my friend.

Rikkor and Ryan. My sympathies are with you. I’m just pleased I didn’t go for a chair incorporating bends. I hope you had more success last night Ryan.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

oh Tom.. don’t rub it in—“No pictures; didn’t happen”—THAT”S the problem- it’s not happening!!

Keep the faith!! Don’t give in…...... You shall conquer… (and then a little Tim Allen man grunt for you)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Oh yea, the man grunt.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Thinking about this on my comute to work. I had always heard that successful bending required air dried lumber. The kiln drying locks in the fibers. I wonder if this has something to do with it.

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

try buying your 2×4 at h. d they have plenty already bent !! lol

laughed out loud at that one MrTrim

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

My sympathies . But I just don’t understand !

When I did my 2×4 project the pieces bent all by them selves.

-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/

Thinking about this on my comute to work. I had always heard that successful bending required air dried lumber. The kiln drying locks in the fibers. I wonder if this has something to do with it.

Yes, the fact that wood should be green or air-dried has something to do with it….AND the fact that softwood “can’t be steam bent”, AND the fact that every stud I looked at had full arc grain (made from small trees!) AND the knots that are ever present in framing lumber…...what can I say, it’s a challenge!

I am happy to report that my shop time (untill 1:30 AM) last night paid off….I actually managed to get 1/4” material to steam bend….and only got second degree burns in the process :)

To all that were talking about bent lamination, well….this design calls for both. some of the strips had to wwrap arounfd a tight radius, so glue laminating was out. Even at 3/32” they wouldn’t bend that tight, so I wen’t whole-hog and bent the full 1/4” thickness with the steam. Now that the individual strips are out of the forms, I have bent laminated them into another series of forms….forms forms forms…now I know where my time went!

I should be into glue-up tonight, and (God willing) sanding and finishing before the time limit is up :)

Thanks for the words of encouragement, I was at my limit last night and I needed that!

Ryan

-- If you can't set a good example, at least serve as a horrible warning... www.rarewoodcreations.com

can’t wait to see this masterpiece. Does it have a name? The nemesis or something?

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

HA! I like it….”The Nemesis”.

I don’t know about masterpiece….I just wanted to do something different and try some things that I would otherwise never do, learn some stuff I would otherwise never learn, and maybe try and give Stewart a run for his money :) ).

LOL…the nemesis…..

-- If you can't set a good example, at least serve as a horrible warning... www.rarewoodcreations.com

The Nemesis . . . Project X . . . what name does Mot have on his?

I enjoyed your posting Ryan . . . funny.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

UPDATE :)

The bending, forming, laminating, cutting, and sanding….DONE! A couple of days for finish and I might just get this thing done!

Heres a couple of carefully cropped pics…just to tease :)

-- If you can't set a good example, at least serve as a horrible warning... www.rarewoodcreations.com

tease!!!!!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

aha – its the kiln drying… if one of my studs (salvaged from the house) predates the borg, i might have a chance – and only one day to do it!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/