I took notes while watching your video. I thought I’d share them for people to copy, paste and read through when necessary. Please still watch the video folks, this cheat sheet won’t have context without viewing. Thank you for making and posting! * Vertical grain timber * 2 hours per 1/4 inch * Pre soak * Steel band on back of board when bending for even compression * 30 seconds from steamer to bend * Kiln dried timber will need fabric softener added to steam water to absorb properly between the fibre. Air dried is better. Fresh cut green lumber is ideal. * Straight grain timber. Knots and undulations will snap. * Have everything ready to go for bend and work quick * Clamp everywhere * wait 10 mins before pulling off the form then leave in snug brace to retain shape while drying. Few days minimum
This is very useful information. I love the experimenting and failures. Thomas Edison was once asked why he didn't give up after a thousand failures when creating the light bulb, and his response was: I didn't fail a thousand times. I simply found 1000 ways how not to make a light bulb. Another good quote goes something like this: When failure is not an option, success is never the outcome. (Someone will need to find the person who actually quoted this. I believe it was some rocket scientist)
I do have a tip for you. In the old days when they made boats they used to find saplings in the forest and bend them into the desired shape. When the saplings grew to full size, they had a ready supply of marine-grade wood preformed in the perfect shape. All they had to do was plane it smooth.
Hi, thanks for the video. I'm really new to steam bending but I have been taught by a good teacher. He taught me that the best wood to bend is hardwood (in fact softwood is not great for bending). Ash and oak are the best. Ash grows fast and straight. What you're looking for is a straight grain and as few knots as possible. Also, leaving for a couple of days in the jig in a continuously temperate room with an aluminium (or steel support as you used) on the outside should help prevent splitting. Steam bending is such and energy efficient, eco friendly, sustainable way to work with wood i think its a shame to introduce unnecessary chemicals. Soaking overnight should dramatically affect the pliability of the wood. I hope my newly acquired knowledge helps and I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
Excellent job my man. These are the things that no one thinks about. Coming from a person whos done this myself, you nailed it. To the point, accurate, pretty descript. 👌
Nice work man! There may be something off with your steam production. I just had great success steam bending 5/8" thick cherry (air dried and quartersawn) and steamed those pieces for 45 minutes. They bent with very little effort - basically by hand. I used a steel strap similar to yours and attached a come-along to it, cranked around a form. I actually feel I could have gotten away with 30 minutes as I could see the end grain bubbling well before 45. I used a big turkery fryer/gas burner with a rubber hose going into a 6mil poly tube as my steam box, zip tied at each end. The uphill side I left a bit loose for steam to escape. I hope to make a video about it someday. Thanks for the video. I like your dedication and trial and error process.
Nice! I'd love to see it when you put it up. I'm pretty sure my main issue was using kiln-dried wood. The video I did after this one was making a toboggan with steam bent wood and for that project I used some ash I got from a local Mill that had been air-dried. It bent so easily I probably could have reduced the amount of time in the steam box.
This was THE MOST INFORMATIVE video on the subject of steam bending lumber! Thanks so much for posting this, and sharing your experiences with us all. I'm pretty sure you just saved me a ton of $$$ in broken lumber.
Nice video and some great tips. For thin strips up to about 5 mm I use a hot air gun. It works really well and is so much easier than all this steam malarky. Get it at the right temperature whilst applying a little pressure and you can feel the wood sigh and give up, that's when the lignin is soft enough to let the fibres realign. Clamp one end like you did then play the heat slowly along the strip bending as it gives up.
One thing I found out about steam bending is the drying time. I work for a high end furniture shop and found out this was the reason we don't do steam bending. We just don't have the space to leave steam bent projects waiting for the moisture content to go back down to ideal levels
Excellent video! All of us learn more when you tell us your problems and mistakes and how you overcame them. I wonder if you may get a little more bending time at the jig if it is pre-heated just prior to inserting the wood strip - that could possibly delay the cool down just enough to make a difference.
Great vid. More YT “makers” need to show their learning process as well as mistakes. I saw one recently where a guy goofed up fiberglassing a beautiful boat he had just taken 12 videos to make, and it was not only beneficial to see but more authentic that way.
Excellent video. I was told an hour per inch. The supporting band is essential. Regarding time steaming, on certain hardwoods I find too much steam causes cupping along its length, with consequent cracking when clamped. Time is more critical on smaller dimension wood.
You need to turn the steam box into more of a pressure box. Glue all the non-movable joints and put a seal around the door then add compressed air to force the steam into the wood. I wouldn't run the air pressure very high but an adjustable pop off valve would be a good idea.
Thank You for the video.... quite helpful. I’m attempting to slightly bend Asian plywood for a theatre prop (King’s Shield) and this is great info. Not a huge bend in fact only need a cup of about 2” in 20”, Starting from scratch, making a square steam box and will be using an outdoor turkey fryer and pot for the steam generator. Thank you again...
You might be able to do something like that with a tub of water. Maybe try running a bath of hot water and add some weights? You might not actually need a steam box for that. Sounds like a fun project. Good luck
Outstanding, Than you very much for the information - the steel band sourcing. Clarifying the grain. I encountered the same issues an bending anything thicker that 1/4". I don't have a steam box and was bending a three centered ellipses (nearly flat top) one for 5" and the other 8" jambs 5' and 6' wide. I soaked the 8' boards overnight by laying out and folding back a plastic drop to about 2' wide elevating the ends putting in the board using clips to zip it up to just an opening to pour water. Left it in there for about a day or so. With the mold i made the board needed to be pulled into it. I pulled down the center first then started heating with the biggest hand held clothing steamer i could find (i wanted a floor model but too much$) and slowly pulled each corner in keeping steam on them as i did. Now I am trying to bend 3/4" for the end of a counter /peninsula. I am trying to do it out of one piece of wood so the curve would be off set. I am getting it there but the front of the board looks shredded because of all the fibers i have pulled apart to make the curve. the steel flashing hopefully will lessen that. Thanks for the tip and showing it in action !
Some success some failures. I have tried adding ammonia it just turns the outside layers dark so if the face of the bend will be for show you would have to sand down past that. I have also tried fabric softener - the theory is it softens natural fibers - I was looking forward to having some scratch and sniff woodwork but both failed even after soaking for days. I think it would be successful is a slightly pressure positive steam box (as far as ammonia there is a video of wood being turned pliable enough to bend into a helix - small dark pieces) . Now determined I went to HD and bought 4" pvc with hand tightening plug for one side and a T with 2 caps and reduced and some flashing .ordered a 5 bar steamer from AMZ... I am able to bend to 3/8" after being soaked a day or 2 I post the rest and pictures on my page
That’s very helpful thanks. I haven’t steam bent any wood, but I will be soon. There is a channel called EngelsCoachShop where an extraordinarily skilful multi-craftsman steam bends hardwood, mainly ash for wagon wheels and bows for wagon canopies as thick as 1 inch. He mentioned most of what you covered although your video is very concise.
As far as a tip is you need to over bend to compensate for spring back. If you have bend something for an inside curve it will be hard as hell to get it into the curve. Thanks again for the flashing idea. I see you mounted it onto another board and you place that over the end . It seems to be the fastest method to get it in place for the bend and with tension from the start. My only dilemma is I don't have space for a steam box i would seam as i go and I am bending a 1"x3" (.75"x2.5") x 8'. Last night I did bend one but the outside shredded. The flashing i bought will fix that i hope...
Thanks for the imput! Steaming it in a bag is also an option for a limited space. I found that if you leave the wood in it's form for about 2 weeks you won't have any spring back. In mine once all of the moisture was dried out the wood shrank just enough that the forms literally fell off. I don't know of this works with thicker woods but it's worked for me every time so far. Thanks!
AS a new bender myself I found putting a heat mat under my jig and having a heat gun heating the edge prior to and during the bend to keep it from cooling the face of the wood when pressed against the jig. Other wise i went thru everything you did.
Steam bending hardwoods is 10X easier than softwoods. Clear, straight-grained White Oak, Black Locust, maple, walnut, ash, osage orange all bend really well. Soak first, use a bending strap (aluminum or galvanized, steel will discolor the wood). 1 hour per inch of thickness, more will dry out the wood.
I’ve heard ammonia in the steam water works to get into the wood faster. Additionally- not sure if you did it but to screw a block to the other end of your metal strap or clamp the wood to the strap before you bend it to keep it in compression as well.
One secret is as you do, make sure that the wood is only compressed, that the bending all happens as a compression on the inside. Secondly steam under pressure 2 atm gives you 1 hour steaming per inch thickness. Green wood is half the time. Thank you.
Thank you. Well done, informative and casual. There is information in here I've never heard before and I've watched some "Professional" How-To's. Thanks again
Instead of a steam box I use a pipe. It allows me to achieve steam pressure in the steamer, about 3 to 5psi or better ... just like a stove top pressure cooker. The actual penetration of the steam was doubled and the time needed in the steamer was cut almost in half. The lumber became a wet noodle. I could do most anything I wanted to it successfully. It’s a significant increase in success. Pressure ! Be careful and understand you’re working with live steam and it’s under pressure too, that can be dangerous. Caution is advised. Be well.
Thank you so much !! I'm going to build a few boats . Thinner wood is ok because the hulls will be stronger if they're laminated . Got any tips for lamination ???
There's a boat builder on youtube that steam bends wood in a plastic bag. I forgot the name. He steams long planks in place which provides more time to maneuver the workpiece . I don't know how far he got with his technique but to me it seems promising
Yeah there's definitely a lot of good to be said about that technique. Personally I like always having my tools set up and out of the way. It increases workflow a lot. To each his own though.
Thank you for such a great intro to the world of steam bending. I've been looking for some good info, then I found your GREAT video into steam bending. Thank you for alot of help.
awesome man. great info, thank you. I just picked up the kit, of course they didnt send the hardware so Im not sure on the brass fitting size. guess ill need to take a trip to home depot and pick up some kind of gasket for the door, a thermometer and a latch anyways. keep up sharing info. oh so you cant take a 1x5 say 8' and bend it? even if you steam it for say 4 hours or so? Im planning on making some end tables with a 1/.3 circle or a wave. but that woods going to need to be that 1" thickness Im pretty sure.
I had purchased the Rockler steam box and plans some years ago. Built it and it was never a success. Leaked and bowed the white pine. Today watching your video I see that you have like a stove pipe added which apparently making a big difference. I would like to know what other materials you used surrounding the pipe. Great informative video, thank you for sharing.
Great video and great comments, but I'm not seeing or hearing much about lignin content. Hardwoods like oak and ash have higher content of this natural polymer. The heat temporarily makes the lignin maleable, but wont compromise strength like when using chemicals on top of heat. I appreciate the comments regarding grain position, as that's probably the hardest thing to read in the wood. Im looking to steambend Tuauri, which appears to be similar to red American oak. Supposedly harder. As with all woods, I read the grain before taking any kind of tool to it.
Yeah the lignin is one of the things that make up the connective tissue between the fibers and its kind of like a thermoplastic. The tissue itself is made up of a few different compounds and together they will dry out and once that hapends even heat won't make it bend properly. As long as that connective tissue is well hydrated heat works very well on the lignin. If your wood is grean enough you shouldn't even need the steam.
@@WyldeWoodworks I really like the idea of using green wood, although that seems to be very location specific. I'm in Europe, and finding green anything other than pine seems difficult. From my understanding, staying away from kiln dried lumber is key.
That’s real useful dude, thanks. I’m in the process of steam bending (trying to) cedar shingles for a project. Got about 180 to do but not been too productive so far. Trying to gang bend a few at a time with various moulds, convex and concave. Had them soaking for a week, need more heat/steam in our box and need to choose the singles better. Too many breakages just yet!
Yeah I must have spent the first two months just breaking boards until I started getting successes. That's sort of just how it goes learning to steam bend. Good luck
id be curious to know strategies you used to bend lots of them. 1 have to bend 29 different shapes as many time as possible. The demand is high but i need to get my process efficient.
@@dextrovmo in the end we were most productive with the 3rd version of the former. It needs to have a flexible metal strap on the outside of the curve to give support in the bend. The metal needs to have stops at either end so that it fits snug while the workpiece is straight ( varied snug depending on how far you are bending) basically the wood needs to be in compression as it bends to re structure the lignin fibres. Also it’s a good idea to take it past the desired bend to really stretch the wood then bring it back to its stop point. Again this depends on if the final piece is fixed like a chain or in our case roof shingles that were relatively unsupported, just relying on the steam bending to hold its new shape. Hope that helps!
@@eddbuckpitt Thank you for these precisions. Beyond the technicalities of what makes a successful individual bend, I was curious to learn how you managed to ''gang bend'' lots of them and get your bending process efficient in numbers of bent achieve, almost like a production line. Any thoughts on that? Did you have multiple forms? If so how did you manage to stack them in your shop so they don't take all the space?
I added a few instant read meat thermometers to my steam box. If you don’t get over 200degrees F your bending won’t usually work. The hotter the better.
Need to bend wood slightly vertically, not horizontally. Lots of good tips here. Would like to learn how to pressurize the steaming, as mentioned in comments. That would seem to be very helpful.
I'd like to get a steel band. We have Menards near us. Do you remember what its called? what was its width? length?Anything you can tell me would help. Thanks.
That depends on how green the wood is and what kind of wood as well. I'm not sure what the smallest possible radius of the wood is. I know I haven't reached it yet
Great video. There is an ole wagon maker in Joliet Montana with a youtube channel called EnglesCoachShop. He has an entire series on Wood Bending that might help you. You're on the right track and you solved most of the problems already.
That was good! I am doing a project that will put my skills to the test, you have good ideas. I am going to be doing the glue up as well during this process, would the fabrick softener affect the glue?
@@1jumbox I'm not sure how much is ideal but I usually add about a cap full of softener. Just remember that if you're working with fully dried lumber then there's a very high likelyhood it's just gonna break on you. This isn't really a frugal project. Let me know how it works for you though!😁
The rule I heard is 1 hour of steaming per inch of timber thickness - that's just rule-of thumb. It doesn't take account of what species the wood is - i.e. how absorbent. Another idea: saves a lot of effort making a box if you just use plastic layflat tubing for a steam chest instead.
@WyldeWoodworks thanks for lesson. Just found you. My friend had an antique children's chair damaged in a flood amongst other wooden items. Can I repair plywood? The plies separated and top layer rippled. I'm hoping to steam it flat
Steaming plywood usually ruins it because it makes the glue separate more. Most of the time you can just put a bunch of glue between the plies and then clamp it in the shape you want it
@@WyldeWoodworks At that rate I was probably going to cut and route it from a solid board without bending. Window is only 24 inches wide so 2x 12" sides.
I think the glue bonding the plies would let go in the steamer. Plus plywood by definition has grains running perpendicular to one another for stiffness, which is just what you _don't_ want. :-/
1:29 1:40 Your basic problem is that you aren’t bending wood that has the lignan characteristics and fiber strength that permits it to bend well. Softwoods aren’t a good choice. Neither is sawn lumber. You need to rive it out of ash, red or white oak… 4:08 the wetness doesn’t matter- the temperature of the lignans matters
Apparently deciduous trees (the word means 'leaves fall off') , They include oaks, maples, and beeches, they can steam bend whereas pine trees, (non deciduous) which are quite different in structure, they can warp but are more unpredictable at accepting a bend.
Yes, unless your outside of North America. I'm in Australia. Almost all our hardwoods are evergreens. Basically the theory is that fast growing softwoods collapse under the pressure and the inside surface gets wrinkles. Still might be OK if the inside bend is not on show.
Hey brother! Im very grateful for this helpful video my only problem is I can't find steel band I'm in Canada and the only choice seems to be buying a whole roll for 300$ and I don't have that kinda money, do you have a suggestion?
@@WyldeWoodworks I was just watching Dave (I think his name is) from Engelscoachshop, and I think he might have the answers: ruclips.net/video/1pPKUgpn0CI/видео.html
OBSERVATION: So, as an observer I feel that your technique is flawed (I have seen others do the same thing). By holding the board far from the point of bending and then walking around you are basically saying to the board "Hey can you show me where your weakest point is" the board says "yeah, its right here" :) The metal strap is compensating for this flawed technique and basically holding the board together. SOLUTIONS: 1) Put your hand or a block directly over the site of the bend and push it around (might require quite a bit of strength). In this way you are only putting stress on the part that is bending and it is fully supported. 2) mount the board and push the round block into the board. This will require a lot of force, maybe weights or a jig of some kind. Good video. Thanks for posting it.
Why are you using pine? White oak and ash ( straight grain no knots) are the traditional woods for this. Also use sir dried wood not kiln dried for better results
Yeah, I mentioned that in the video. I used a lot of different kinds of woods to see what would work. Pine does bend if you can get the connecting fibers sufficiently saturated. The reason I didn't use White Oak for all of my tests because it's incredibly expensive to use Oak for testing considering most of them are probably going to be wasted anyway. My final project I ended up doing in Ash. It worked fine.
I took notes while watching your video. I thought I’d share them for people to copy, paste and read through when necessary. Please still watch the video folks, this cheat sheet won’t have context without viewing. Thank you for making and posting!
* Vertical grain timber
* 2 hours per 1/4 inch
* Pre soak
* Steel band on back of board when bending for even compression
* 30 seconds from steamer to bend
* Kiln dried timber will need fabric softener added to steam water to absorb properly between the fibre. Air dried is better. Fresh cut green lumber is ideal.
* Straight grain timber. Knots and undulations will snap.
* Have everything ready to go for bend and work quick
* Clamp everywhere
* wait 10 mins before pulling off the form then leave in snug brace to retain shape while drying. Few days minimum
This is very useful information. I love the experimenting and failures.
Thomas Edison was once asked why he didn't give up after a thousand failures when creating the light bulb, and his response was:
I didn't fail a thousand times. I simply found 1000 ways how not to make a light bulb.
Another good quote goes something like this:
When failure is not an option, success is never the outcome.
(Someone will need to find the person who actually quoted this. I believe it was some rocket scientist)
I do have a tip for you. In the old days when they made boats they used to find saplings in the forest and bend them into the desired shape. When the saplings grew to full size, they had a ready supply of marine-grade wood preformed in the perfect shape. All they had to do was plane it smooth.
How is that a tip for you? Is he going to start growing curved saplings. Derp
@@77Avadon77 Why not? In the old days people had to plan ahead. Never know when you may want to build a boat.
*Riven* planks won't fray and crack, which helps... the fibers follow the length of the workpiece :)
This is a neat tip. I’ll try it out and get my grandkids to update with the results.
@@77Avadon77 -me with 30 acres appreciating this tip and 1000% going to try it- … Why you gotta be so negative my dude?
Hi, thanks for the video. I'm really new to steam bending but I have been taught by a good teacher. He taught me that the best wood to bend is hardwood (in fact softwood is not great for bending). Ash and oak are the best. Ash grows fast and straight. What you're looking for is a straight grain and as few knots as possible.
Also, leaving for a couple of days in the jig in a continuously temperate room with an aluminium (or steel support as you used) on the outside should help prevent splitting.
Steam bending is such and energy efficient, eco friendly, sustainable way to work with wood i think its a shame to introduce unnecessary chemicals. Soaking overnight should dramatically affect the pliability of the wood. I hope my newly acquired knowledge helps and I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
That was a LOT of info in 5 min! Just the way I like my RUclips tutorials. Subscribed.
Thanks for the feedback!
Excellent job my man. These are the things that no one thinks about. Coming from a person whos done this myself, you nailed it. To the point, accurate, pretty descript. 👌
Nice work man! There may be something off with your steam production. I just had great success steam bending 5/8" thick cherry (air dried and quartersawn) and steamed those pieces for 45 minutes. They bent with very little effort - basically by hand. I used a steel strap similar to yours and attached a come-along to it, cranked around a form. I actually feel I could have gotten away with 30 minutes as I could see the end grain bubbling well before 45. I used a big turkery fryer/gas burner with a rubber hose going into a 6mil poly tube as my steam box, zip tied at each end. The uphill side I left a bit loose for steam to escape. I hope to make a video about it someday. Thanks for the video. I like your dedication and trial and error process.
Nice! I'd love to see it when you put it up. I'm pretty sure my main issue was using kiln-dried wood. The video I did after this one was making a toboggan with steam bent wood and for that project I used some ash I got from a local Mill that had been air-dried. It bent so easily I probably could have reduced the amount of time in the steam box.
This was THE MOST INFORMATIVE video on the subject of steam bending lumber! Thanks so much for posting this, and sharing your experiences with us all. I'm pretty sure you just saved me a ton of $$$ in broken lumber.
😁no problem. Thanks!
Great guide! But can you advise me how to make a straight piece of wood from not ideal one?
Nice video and some great tips. For thin strips up to about 5 mm I use a hot air gun. It works really well and is so much easier than all this steam malarky. Get it at the right temperature whilst applying a little pressure and you can feel the wood sigh and give up, that's when the lignin is soft enough to let the fibres realign. Clamp one end like you did then play the heat slowly along the strip bending as it gives up.
I'd like to try this method but I have a few questions, is the wood completely dry? What are you using for heat, gun or torch? Tia
@@leeclement7716 sounds like a heat gun, yeah that would do it for sure. good tip Ill have to give that a go too.
One thing I found out about steam bending is the drying time. I work for a high end furniture shop and found out this was the reason we don't do steam bending. We just don't have the space to leave steam bent projects waiting for the moisture content to go back down to ideal levels
What methods do you use instead?
Excellent video! All of us learn more when you tell us your problems and mistakes and how you overcame them. I wonder if you may get a little more bending time at the jig if it is pre-heated just prior to inserting the wood strip - that could possibly delay the cool down just enough to make a difference.
Thank you for this! It's great to have the "what not to do" aspect.
wow this is totally helpful thank you. and your little girl's smile made my day.
Great vid. More YT “makers” need to show their learning process as well as mistakes. I saw one recently where a guy goofed up fiberglassing a beautiful boat he had just taken 12 videos to make, and it was not only beneficial to see but more authentic that way.
Excellent video. I was told an hour per inch. The supporting band is essential. Regarding time steaming, on certain hardwoods I find too much steam causes cupping along its length, with consequent cracking when clamped. Time is more critical on smaller dimension wood.
EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!! Subscribed and shared. Thanks for not having cliché music.
You need to turn the steam box into more of a pressure box. Glue all the non-movable joints and put a seal around the door then add compressed air to force the steam into the wood. I wouldn't run the air pressure very high but an adjustable pop off valve would be a good idea.
Great video. Clear, precise, and short.
Thank You for the video.... quite helpful. I’m attempting to slightly bend Asian plywood for a theatre prop (King’s Shield) and this is great info. Not a huge bend in fact only need a cup of about 2” in 20”, Starting from scratch, making a square steam box and will be using an outdoor turkey fryer and pot for the steam generator. Thank you again...
You might be able to do something like that with a tub of water. Maybe try running a bath of hot water and add some weights? You might not actually need a steam box for that. Sounds like a fun project. Good luck
One of the best steam bending videos I've seen. What type of wood were you bending? What was the final product?
Cool stuff, and the cute happy kid cheered me up.
Outstanding, Than you very much for the information - the steel band sourcing. Clarifying the grain. I encountered the same issues an bending anything thicker that 1/4". I don't have a steam box and was bending a three centered ellipses (nearly flat top) one for 5" and the other 8" jambs 5' and 6' wide. I soaked the 8' boards overnight by laying out and folding back a plastic drop to about 2' wide elevating the ends putting in the board using clips to zip it up to just an opening to pour water. Left it in there for about a day or so. With the mold i made the board needed to be pulled into it. I pulled down the center first then started heating with the biggest hand held clothing steamer i could find (i wanted a floor model but too much$) and slowly pulled each corner in keeping steam on them as i did. Now I am trying to bend 3/4" for the end of a counter /peninsula. I am trying to do it out of one piece of wood so the curve would be off set. I am getting it there but the front of the board looks shredded because of all the fibers i have pulled apart to make the curve. the steel flashing hopefully will lessen that. Thanks for the tip and showing it in action !
Some success some failures. I have tried adding ammonia it just turns the outside layers dark so if the face of the bend will be for show you would have to sand down past that. I have also tried fabric softener - the theory is it softens natural fibers - I was looking forward to having some scratch and sniff woodwork but both failed even after soaking for days. I think it would be successful is a slightly pressure positive steam box (as far as ammonia there is a video of wood being turned pliable enough to bend into a helix - small dark pieces) . Now determined I went to HD and bought 4" pvc with hand tightening plug for one side and a T with 2 caps and reduced and some flashing .ordered a 5 bar steamer from AMZ... I am able to bend to 3/8" after being soaked a day or 2 I post the rest and pictures on my page
That’s very helpful thanks. I haven’t steam bent any wood, but I will be soon. There is a channel called EngelsCoachShop where an extraordinarily skilful multi-craftsman steam bends hardwood, mainly ash for wagon wheels and bows for wagon canopies as thick as 1 inch. He mentioned most of what you covered although your video is very concise.
As far as a tip is you need to over bend to compensate for spring back. If you have bend something for an inside curve it will be hard as hell to get it into the curve. Thanks again for the flashing idea. I see you mounted it onto another board and you place that over the end . It seems to be the fastest method to get it in place for the bend and with tension from the start. My only dilemma is I don't have space for a steam box i would seam as i go and I am bending a 1"x3" (.75"x2.5") x 8'. Last night I did bend one but the outside shredded. The flashing i bought will fix that i hope...
Thanks for the imput! Steaming it in a bag is also an option for a limited space.
I found that if you leave the wood in it's form for about 2 weeks you won't have any spring back. In mine once all of the moisture was dried out the wood shrank just enough that the forms literally fell off. I don't know of this works with thicker woods but it's worked for me every time so far. Thanks!
The result drive.google.com/file/d/1P5dHiDnozP_mk74wHOrIybg9-6O11I6B/view?usp=sharing
AS a new bender myself I found putting a heat mat under my jig and having a heat gun heating the edge prior to and during the bend to keep it from cooling the face of the wood when pressed against the jig. Other wise i went thru everything you did.
Very well done, sir! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Steam bending hardwoods is 10X easier than softwoods. Clear, straight-grained White Oak, Black Locust, maple, walnut, ash, osage orange all bend really well. Soak first, use a bending strap (aluminum or galvanized, steel will discolor the wood). 1 hour per inch of thickness, more will dry out the wood.
I’ve heard ammonia in the steam water works to get into the wood faster. Additionally- not sure if you did it but to screw a block to the other end of your metal strap or clamp the wood to the strap before you bend it to keep it in compression as well.
Didnt he do that?
I'm an engineer, not a word worker. I think if you steam your lumber under some pressure, say 5 or 10psi, the steam will penetrate deeper and faster.
Great video, I learned a lot about the problems I'm currently having.
One secret is as you do, make sure that the wood is only compressed, that the bending all happens as a compression on the inside. Secondly steam under pressure 2 atm gives you 1 hour steaming per inch thickness. Green wood is half the time. Thank you.
Thank you. Well done, informative and casual. There is information in here I've never heard before and I've watched some "Professional" How-To's. Thanks again
Instead of a steam box I use a pipe. It allows me to achieve steam pressure in the steamer, about 3 to 5psi or better ... just like a stove top pressure cooker. The actual penetration of the steam was doubled and the time needed in the steamer was cut almost in half. The lumber became a wet noodle. I could do most anything I wanted to it successfully. It’s a significant increase in success. Pressure ! Be careful and understand you’re working with live steam and it’s under pressure too, that can be dangerous. Caution is advised. Be well.
I thought about this but I didn't know how to properly regulate the pressure. Sounds like you figured it out though. Good job
Yep 👍 😅
thank you for this video, it was super helpful! and thanks for carrying our mail!
Thanks for the vid bro. My wife got me a steam generator for my birthday. I`ll be happy to apply what you`ve learned. Cheers
Very informative, but one thing though instead of soaking and steaming, can we boil them straight up.
Thank you so much !! I'm going to build a few boats . Thinner wood is ok because the hulls will be stronger if they're laminated . Got any tips for lamination ???
That sounds awesome! I would try bending the wood into shape and letting it dry before the lamination but I've never done it. What is your plan?
The species of wood makes a big difference. I found Ash best for my applications. Pine, not so much.
There's a boat builder on youtube that steam bends wood in a plastic bag. I forgot the name. He steams long planks in place which provides more time to maneuver the workpiece . I don't know how far he got with his technique but to me it seems promising
Yeah there's definitely a lot of good to be said about that technique. Personally I like always having my tools set up and out of the way. It increases workflow a lot. To each his own though.
look up tips from a ship wright for the steaming in plastic
Great video, very detailed and helpful! Thanks!
Great video. Answers so many questions for a newbie. Thank you!
I was wondering if you need to create a specific bend but a warp as well. I'm assuming you would not want to both at once. But do them separately.
You do a good job man.
Thank you for such a great intro to the world of steam bending. I've been looking for some good info, then I found your GREAT video into steam bending. Thank you for alot of help.
awesome man. great info, thank you. I just picked up the kit, of course they didnt send the hardware so Im not sure on the brass fitting size. guess ill need to take a trip to home depot and pick up some kind of gasket for the door, a thermometer and a latch anyways. keep up sharing info. oh so you cant take a 1x5 say 8' and bend it? even if you steam it for say 4 hours or so? Im planning on making some end tables with a 1/.3 circle or a wave. but that woods going to need to be that 1" thickness Im pretty sure.
I had purchased the Rockler steam box and plans some years ago. Built it and it was never a success. Leaked and bowed the white pine. Today watching your video I see that you have like a stove pipe added which apparently making a big difference. I would like to know what other materials you used surrounding the pipe. Great informative video, thank you for sharing.
One of the rules is do not use pine or coniferous timber as a rule, use deciduous trees, Oak Ash, Elm.
Very good info. To the point, thank you!
excellent information and a well done video. Thanks
Great video and great comments, but I'm not seeing or hearing much about lignin content. Hardwoods like oak and ash have higher content of this natural polymer. The heat temporarily makes the lignin maleable, but wont compromise strength like when using chemicals on top of heat. I appreciate the comments regarding grain position, as that's probably the hardest thing to read in the wood. Im looking to steambend Tuauri, which appears to be similar to red American oak. Supposedly harder. As with all woods, I read the grain before taking any kind of tool to it.
Yeah the lignin is one of the things that make up the connective tissue between the fibers and its kind of like a thermoplastic. The tissue itself is made up of a few different compounds and together they will dry out and once that hapends even heat won't make it bend properly. As long as that connective tissue is well hydrated heat works very well on the lignin. If your wood is grean enough you shouldn't even need the steam.
@@WyldeWoodworks I really like the idea of using green wood, although that seems to be very location specific. I'm in Europe, and finding green anything other than pine seems difficult. From my understanding, staying away from kiln dried lumber is key.
That’s real useful dude, thanks. I’m in the process of steam bending (trying to) cedar shingles for a project. Got about 180 to do but not been too productive so far. Trying to gang bend a few at a time with various moulds, convex and concave. Had them soaking for a week, need more heat/steam in our box and need to choose the singles better. Too many breakages just yet!
Yeah I must have spent the first two months just breaking boards until I started getting successes. That's sort of just how it goes learning to steam bend. Good luck
Dylan Strawn thanks, making changes today, steam box upgraded already, now to make a strapped former and get a production line going. 🤞🏼
id be curious to know strategies you used to bend lots of them. 1 have to bend 29 different shapes as many time as possible. The demand is high but i need to get my process efficient.
@@dextrovmo in the end we were most productive with the 3rd version of the former. It needs to have a flexible metal strap on the outside of the curve to give support in the bend. The metal needs to have stops at either end so that it fits snug while the workpiece is straight ( varied snug depending on how far you are bending) basically the wood needs to be in compression as it bends to re structure the lignin fibres. Also it’s a good idea to take it past the desired bend to really stretch the wood then bring it back to its stop point. Again this depends on if the final piece is fixed like a chain or in our case roof shingles that were relatively unsupported, just relying on the steam bending to hold its new shape. Hope that helps!
@@eddbuckpitt Thank you for these precisions. Beyond the technicalities of what makes a successful individual bend, I was curious to learn how you managed to ''gang bend'' lots of them and get your bending process efficient in numbers of bent achieve, almost like a production line. Any thoughts on that? Did you have multiple forms? If so how did you manage to stack them in your shop so they don't take all the space?
Can you steam bend wood thats been stained without running or buggering the stain?
Try an hour and fifteen per inch and add 1/10 1 part ammonia and 10 parts water it will bend like string
Thank you!
This is great!! Thanks for sharing.
Nice work
very good show, can you share how you made steamer.
Sure!
ruclips.net/video/JXSR0GA3fJ4/видео.html
I added a few instant read meat thermometers to my steam box. If you don’t get over 200degrees F your bending won’t usually work. The hotter the better.
Hahah so funny, wish i had watched this before i tried steam bending. Very accurate title.
Great insight and very helpful.
Very cool video. Thanks for the honest info.
Very useful, thank you!
Need to bend wood slightly vertically, not horizontally. Lots of good tips here. Would like to learn how to pressurize the steaming, as mentioned in comments. That would seem to be very helpful.
What do you mean vertically?
This is great, thanks
I'd like to get a steel band. We have Menards near us. Do you remember what its called? what was its width? length?Anything you can tell me would help. Thanks.
It's galvanized steel flashing. I had buy the 10" and then cut it to the width of my board. It's just like this one amzn.to/2Wi2Szj
Excellent!!
what is the bending limit like an arc can you specify the radius limits and the thickness of the wood? Thanks
That depends on how green the wood is and what kind of wood as well. I'm not sure what the smallest possible radius of the wood is. I know I haven't reached it yet
Great video. There is an ole wagon maker in Joliet Montana with a youtube channel called EnglesCoachShop. He has an entire series on Wood Bending that might help you. You're on the right track and you solved most of the problems already.
thank you
That was good! I am doing a project that will put my skills to the test, you have good ideas. I am going to be doing the glue up as well during this process, would the fabrick softener affect the glue?
That's a good question. I have never tried but I wouldn't think so. If you start with green lumber you can skip the softener step
@@WyldeWoodworks I'd love to do it with green lumber; however this is a strictly frugal project, and I must use the lumber on hand.
@@WyldeWoodworks How much softener to water?
@@1jumbox I'm not sure how much is ideal but I usually add about a cap full of softener. Just remember that if you're working with fully dried lumber then there's a very high likelyhood it's just gonna break on you. This isn't really a frugal project. Let me know how it works for you though!😁
@@WyldeWoodworks That is the best advice I've ever gotten, thanks!!!!!!!!!
The rule I heard is 1 hour of steaming per inch of timber thickness - that's just rule-of thumb. It doesn't take account of what species the wood is - i.e. how absorbent. Another idea: saves a lot of effort making a box if you just use plastic layflat tubing for a steam chest instead.
Clever ... Salute.
@WyldeWoodworks thanks for lesson. Just found you. My friend had an antique children's chair damaged in a flood amongst other wooden items. Can I repair plywood? The plies separated and top layer rippled. I'm hoping to steam it flat
Steaming plywood usually ruins it because it makes the glue separate more. Most of the time you can just put a bunch of glue between the plies and then clamp it in the shape you want it
@@WyldeWoodworks thanks!
You did great! So helpful.
Do you think this method would work for trim on an arched window?
Potentially but I would cut and route it after bending or it will probably break
@@WyldeWoodworks At that rate I was probably going to cut and route it from a solid board without bending. Window is only 24 inches wide so 2x 12" sides.
what about plywood. would it work ? according to your video I presume it may work.
I think the glue bonding the plies would let go in the steamer. Plus plywood by definition has grains running perpendicular to one another for stiffness, which is just what you _don't_ want. :-/
1:29
1:40
Your basic problem is that you aren’t bending wood that has the lignan characteristics and fiber strength that permits it to bend well.
Softwoods aren’t a good choice.
Neither is sawn lumber. You need to rive it out of ash, red or white oak…
4:08 the wetness doesn’t matter- the temperature of the lignans matters
Apparently deciduous trees (the word means 'leaves fall off') , They include oaks, maples, and beeches, they can steam bend whereas pine trees, (non deciduous) which are quite different in structure, they can warp but are more unpredictable at accepting a bend.
Yes, unless your outside of North America. I'm in Australia. Almost all our hardwoods are evergreens. Basically the theory is that fast growing softwoods collapse under the pressure and the inside surface gets wrinkles. Still might be OK if the inside bend is not on show.
How.did you build your steam box
ruclips.net/video/JXSR0GA3fJ4/видео.html
good job, goog information
thanks
I have found bending the tight curves slower keeps it from cracking.
ciao bel lavoro ,che legno e che spessore sei riuscito a curvare ?
Thanks! it was 1/4 inch
Hey brother! Im very grateful for this helpful video my only problem is I can't find steel band I'm in Canada and the only choice seems to be buying a whole roll for 300$ and I don't have that kinda money, do you have a suggestion?
Can you use Amazon? I think this is what I used
amzn.to/3BY8nFk
The item you sent doesn't ship to me
Any sheet metal shop will cut a strip for you
What if you boil the wood instead?
That can work
First question that hit me was, what kind of wood are you bending? Some bends better than others. Knots in the piece is begging for trouble.
Is your steaming time a result of having so large a box compared to the steam supply?
No but it is a bit because of my lack of pressure
@@WyldeWoodworks Okay. And shouldn't the clock start only when it's up to pressure?
@@cbrusharmy Im not sure. I guess it depends how long it takes to pressurize.
@@WyldeWoodworks I was just watching Dave (I think his name is) from Engelscoachshop, and I think he might have the answers: ruclips.net/video/1pPKUgpn0CI/видео.html
wow.. amazing.. thanks genius
The log must be sawn a particular way ,I cannot remember exactly which way is better ,a good saw Miller would know .
In the video he did say it needs to be quarter sawn. That said, there are many people who have bent flat sawn wood with no issues.
A tip that might help you out: don’t use pine woods.
Freaking awesome video, thanks for that!
How to make steam box please
I made that video but it's pretty buried. A few years back
Fabric softener ah, who knew
OBSERVATION: So, as an observer I feel that your technique is flawed (I have seen others do the same thing). By holding the board far from the point of bending and then walking around you are basically saying to the board "Hey can you show me where your weakest point is" the board says "yeah, its right here" :) The metal strap is compensating for this flawed technique and basically holding the board together. SOLUTIONS: 1) Put your hand or a block directly over the site of the bend and push it around (might require quite a bit of strength). In this way you are only putting stress on the part that is bending and it is fully supported. 2) mount the board and push the round block into the board. This will require a lot of force, maybe weights or a jig of some kind. Good video. Thanks for posting it.
thanks for tips. after bending the Wood, how long to dry and ready for finishing.
LOL that caution sign 💀
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Why are you using pine? White oak and ash ( straight grain no knots) are the traditional woods for this. Also use sir dried wood not kiln dried for better results
Yeah, I mentioned that in the video. I used a lot of different kinds of woods to see what would work. Pine does bend if you can get the connecting fibers sufficiently saturated. The reason I didn't use White Oak for all of my tests because it's incredibly expensive to use Oak for testing considering most of them are probably going to be wasted anyway. My final project I ended up doing in Ash. It worked fine.
I've heard that you only bend wood from trees with leaves and not needles.
Deciduous tree wood works best. Not conifers.
You might be better off using something other than pine like oak, hickory or ash.