Chair Crest Rails from Steam Bending Jig

This stack of crest rail blanks was made by bending green red oak (if that makes any sense) in the vise fixture shown. Compression straps made from standard galvanized strapping and some quick clamps were sized to quickly just fit the unbent blanks for fast insertion in the vise fixture before quickly turning the vise closed. Then the scrap 1/2×3/8×36 inch pieces were screwed as stays so I could do the next one. The 4/4×4 x 30 inch red oak was steamed for 30 minutes in a plywood box. An old pressure cooker, camping stove, and piece of PEX generated the steam. Without the compression straps the outer fibers crack.

-- Dave, New England - “We are made to persist. that's how we find out who we are.” ― Tobias Wolff