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I worked in a cereal plant and we used large steam tumblers to cook the grains. The key to efficient and fast steaming is to have flow through the vessel not just to add steam under pressure. It works best to put the steam in and then have a vent to let some out so that the steam is allowed to go in the box, give up it's heat then flow out so new steam can come in and give up it's heat.
Thanks for the tip. It explains why i had a difficult time getting some 1/4 slats to soften. Oddly enough I was steaming them to straighten the tambour slats of a 100 year old cabinet.
I love the steam box. Next time you're out and about, stop by a fabric store and grab a cloth tape measure. I keep a couple of them in my bench drawer. Really handy for measuring around curves.
I read an article in Popular Mechanics (August 1984: I just looked it up. It is probably available via your library in digital form) detailing Former President Jimmy Carter's woodworking. He was a bodger (chair maker) working with green and dry woods. (Envision bent back hickory chairs) He described his steam bending system which was a length of stove pipe connected to a 90 degree L. The L went into a pot of boiling water, the wood went into the longer stove pipe and the end was stuffed with rags. The pipe was angled so condensed water flowed back into the pot. I had done some college coursework with steam bending so I decided to try the system an I was overall impressed: Simple, low cost, not much storage space and it worked for what I wanted, Edit: Wood grain is a huge factor in successful steam bending: Straight grain is a requirement!! Species also plays a part, As I remember white oak is probably the "best" species.
I came here to say that. It looks like he used red oak in this video. Red oak sucks to try and steam bend, whereas white oak is great! I took a chair making class in Baltimore with J. Alexander. The other problem here is he’s likely using kiln dried lumber, which also sucks. Green lumber will bend way better without breaking. So, were he to use green white oak, things would’ve been way easier!
FYI- being a Halloween prop building fan and making lots of stuff from that same foam, your can of Great Stuff is one of the best glues for the foam board. Shoot some Great stuff, hold the parts together with some wooden skewers for a bit and the foam board is stuck really good.
Great video. That’s one heavy duty, fancy pants steam box! We just use PVC pipe and call it a day. Works great and half the weight. Hey, on another note, make sure you keep it vented so it doesn’t build up too much pressure inside. Your drain will do the job. Just make sure it’s open.
Pro tip: (like legit tip from my parents who were both professional sheetmetal workers) if you use the aluminum seam tape from the roll instead of cutting strips off first, you can keep the backing paper longer than the aluminum tape and not spend 20 minutes getting it to peel off each time.
@ATG19534, I wish I had realized that trick when I was replacing an exterior door in my house! I spent so much time trying to get the backing off of that dang butyl flashing tape...
Here's an idea for measuring those arches (right around the 17:50 mark): get a tailors measuring tape. They're 100% flexible and can fit those curves perfectly. They may not be 1/16 or 1/32 accurate, but they are far more effective than using a metal measuring tape. I use one to measure log circumference from time to time. Works a charm.
Thanks for your very nice video. I did some wood bending, too when I restored my guitar case. I just plunged the wood in a rain barrel for 30 minutes and bent it with my heat gun. I remember snapping 2 beechwood strips, but then it went fine. One of those strips definitely was weakened by a knot. With this very basic and simple setup I was able to bend a very small radius. My second project with this setup was bending beech veneer for lamp shades. That was easy and a lot of fun too.
Jason Years ago we made a steam box to bend 1" oak boat ribs. We used pvc pipe, radiator hose, metel 1 gallon can with water, heated with a kerosene torpedo heater. Took a while but it worked ..
Hey something I learned over the years bending hand railings for projects. Kiln-dried lumber doesn't respond well to steam bending. It gets softer but it doesn't really retain and hold its shape. Air-dried lumber will take a bend and hold its shape better when dried. 90% of commercially available lumber is kiln-dried. Finding air dried lumber is a challenge
Nice work! You could round the corners of the outer part of the model, were the steamed wood first touches it, to reduce friction and make the clamping more smooth.
I'll tell you what else won't bend besides wood with knots in it… wood with wormholes in it! I once made a kitchen out of wormy Chestnut. I too needed some bent beading like yours and no amount of steaming would allow that worm-holey stuff to bend without breaking. I was down to plan C before I hit on what worked...cutting a bunch of super thin strips and glue laminating them in an arched form. Rounded over the edge with a beading bit in a router table. Worked great! 😮💨
Used to stream trim all the time here on the shore in Ct, lots of old coastal homes with the round torrent like rooms on one end. Simple to build, 10 ft piece of 4” PVC pipe and 2 end caps and a Wall paper steamer. Drill out one cap for the hose from the steamer, vent the other end, works perfectly and is cheap.
A great project for your shop, Jason. All is not lost with those broken under-steamed strips. Just cut them into 12 inch lengths for paInt-stirrers. Ta-da!
It’s funny that the steam generator is just what Wagner used to sell as a wallpaper steamer 25 years ago. Still have one down in my basement from working on our first house.
1/4” door weather stripping spaced an inch from the edge of the steam tube inside the door will seal the one end when you close the door !!! Building up the heat just that bit more !! Helping penetrate the wood a little bit better !!!
Much simpler to use 10 or 12” CPVC pipe and an old pressure cooker(Goodwill $5) with a compression fitting inserted into the pressure vent hole, usually 1/4” pipe thread. Then use a piece of scrap 1/4” copper tubing to conduct the steam into the pvc pipe. Use a slip cap glued on one end of the tube and a threaded cap and slip-to-thread adapter on the other end that you feed the lumber into. CPVC does not corrode with water. Make a simple stand that will support the full length of pipe with a 1” drop for each 10’ of pipe. Plumb the copper tubing into the bottom of your feed end. Next install a 1/4” x 2” copper tubing pointed down for a drain on the opposite lower end. A valve is not necessary, as you want steam to flow easily throughout the tube. Ensure you use a catch pan or bucket to collect the condensate and tannins from the tube. For the rack use dowels like he does. A regular chef’s style thermometer can be inserted into a 3/16” hole drilled into the top of the tube on the drain end. (thermometer is available at resale shops) Load your steamer with the wood, making sure to have space between each piece. Now fill your pressure cooker 2/3 full with water and 1 pinch of salt. Set it on a hot plate (another thrift store find $5-10) and raise the heat setting until you produce steam then put the screw cap on. CPVC is rated at 200 degrees F for non pressurized applications. Water will boil at 212F but will still produce steam at slightly lower temps. Keep it as low as possible but still making steam. If your steaming tube is getting too hot, run it intermittently. 3-5 minutes on, 15 minutes off. This will keep the tube from gaining too much heat. Once you believe that your wood is pliable, shut your hot plate off. (time varies depending on lumber dimensions, density, type, etc.) You will get a feel for it, the more you use your steamer. Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before opening to check. Keep your face away from the cap as you remove it. It’s also a good idea to wear eye protection and heat resistant gloves while doing this. Be careful because steam burns are deep burns!! Good luck and enjoy!!!!😊
Wow! Never seen such a sophisticated steambox! I've been using steel pipes, pvc pipes and now a non-insulated wooden steambox (fir) and it all goes well! So yours should do great (and did). However I would create some kind of pressure valve on it as steam might build up some pressure inside and you don't want that pretty door to be blown out. About the timings that you mentioned,1 hour for each inch of wood (oak or similar) is accurate. however, you need to start the timing at the moment the box is fully heated and I think you started your timing while you were still building up steam and heat. Also, the wood should be completely soaked in water (we water for 4 to 6 weeks for 3/4inch oak for steambending frames in boats). When the wood is dry, the steam will not reach to the cells on the inside of the wood so those will not be softened and will likely break. When the inner cells are soaked, the temperature of the pipe will rise and the water inside the wood will start boiling, softening up the grains and cells. And indeed, knots will not be softened so the wood will break on any knot that is there. Carefully select your stock for steambending and use stock that is free of knots and has a straight and horizontal grain. Finally, when you take the wood out of the box, you have about ten minutes to bend it (with the thin stock you were using probably less) before it cools down and cannot be bended anymore. Loved watching your video's and great to see you solved all the issues that you encountered and reached your goal
Can't wait to get me one of them knives! Gotta find a way to work it into the budget! Price point on them is right where it needs to be! Well done all around on the knife
I was going to say the same thing. A piece of aluminum flashing works, or if you're adventurous, a piece of very thin spring steel. Guitar builders do it all the time with a silicone heating blanket to get the wood up to temperature, and the side is supported on both sides with a piece of spring steel, supporting the wood as it bends. I've even done it with a piece of aluminum flashing with handles on each end and bent sides on a pipe, in the traditional manner. I prefer the jig.
Everything after 7:00 is pretty much extra. If all you need is the box. If you need to do this for a few projects. The outer body is good if you want to use the heck out of the new tool though. The other way to do the support dowels rack would be cut a bunch of shorts at an angle to be the top & 2 long rails to attach them all to. This option is removable if you need that sort of thing. This also doesn't completely negate the first step of sealing up the tube. You can get more or tighter radii if you glue laminate the curves with several veneer thick strips or similar methods.
Just a note that all the holes with the dowels etc. are going to give the steam a path behind the pipe and foam. Theres a decent chance you will end up with water held against the ply. I cant suggest a better way to do it, though.
That's a well (over)engineered steam box for such tiny strips of wood. Should last you a life-time! I've been getting by for 15 years with a length of 4.5 inch PVC sewer pipe on an under-frame of roof battens (hot PVC sags, I discovered early on) and a steam cleaner, building steam-bent Windsor chairs and the like. But if my rig ever gives up, I might well push the boat out and built to your pattern. If you can get hold of riven green wood for steaming (failing that, air-dried) you'll find you have much less issue with breakage.
Good box, gets the job done! I think for the rack, I'd avoid drilling all the holes allowing steam escaping into the insulation (even though The Foreman did an excellent job flush-trimming the dowels), and instead simply cut a few short pieces of dowel, just shy of the diameter of the duct pipe, then brad-nail the ends to 2 long strips, making one long rack. The rack could easily slide in and out of the box to allow the steaming of thinner 'floppy' pieces that would be difficult to feed in from the end, or would be totally removable for situations where a rack is not needed. To prevent the rack rotating around under an off-center load, a row down each side of the pipe of a few Thixo-sealed screws or rivets projecting into the duct pipe before insulating and assembly of the box would take care of that.
A couple of thoughts, first you should consider having your steam nozzle at the opposite end of the box, from your drain. This should improve the heat distribution. Both at one end create a barrier of steam flashing to water. For future boxes consider Coosa Composites. Coosa's Bluewater panels are high-density polyurethane closed-cell foam that is glass fiber reinforced. The panels can be glued with 2 part marine epoxy. The panels are dimensionally stable. They 99.4% non-wickicking, making them mold resistant, insect resistant and non-rotting. We just rebuilt our basements family room. The cost is pricey, but result is better than expected. Bob
Certainly the most complicated steambox ever created. I have a steambox based on a design from Mike Dunbar of the Windsor Chair maker fame. 7 foot length of schedule 80 PCV pipe, 2 threaded end caps,, stainless steel bolts as your rests for the wood to be steamed, a propane burner for a turkey deep fryer and a 5 gallon waste oil collection can fitted with a radiator hose. Drill a drain hole at the bottom of one end of the pipe near the end cap that is not used. Drill a 2nd hole near the first end cap that will be your loading dock. Insert fitting to accept the radiator hose, build a simple cross buck rack to hold the pipe at a slight downward angle, attach radiator hose to can and pipe, place on burner, fire it up and when steam starts exiting drain hole at end of pipe, you are ready to steam your wood. You can steam for hours if you need to do batches and pipe will last for 20 years or more.
Great points! Jason seems like an awesome guy but for my taste he spends a staggering amount of money on every projects. So much so that I cannot even relate to his vids anymore. He seems to be following the path that April Wilkerson followed where a reasonable project budget is of no consideration. Sometimes success can ruin a good thing. But I wish him the very best.
You can buy rolls of continuous plastic bag material. This lets you steam and bend in place around a form no rushing to fight a part into position as its cooling on you. It keeps heat on after it's bent. Cheap quick and handles large parts of arbitrary length. A poor seal at the ends inflates the bag with steam yet lets it travel thru the tube. Old metal gas cans on turkey friers etc works for steaming big stuff.
Just go to your local plumbing supply and get some 8" pvc, 1 rigid cap, and 1 screw cleanout cap. Job done. No need for all of this and will save a crapload of money not to mention have a better functioning steamer.
Nice steamer! Thanks for showing your mistakes. It helps to show those who are going to attempt this, what to avoid. Or at least try to avoid. 😂 Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
You have got to be my absolute favorite wood worker on RUclips... I wish I could afford right now to be one of your patreon members that gets the chance to have you come to my shop in Michigan.
Your adventure seemed to go very much like mine: overkill on the box with no previous experience (except I added vent holes), wasted money on the first steamer, then a shocking batch of progressive time lengthening failures… until after 3 hours of steaming 1/4” spruce with no successful bends I finally gave up. I resorted to steaming 1/8” strips then bending those in pairs and laminating them after. I still have no idea why spruce won’t soften enough to bend.
Jason, PLEASE get sponsored by the makers of the countersink bit you use! I ordered one after watching your video and WOW, it’s exactly what I needed. If you're reading this and wondering, "Does it really work?" Take it from a random internet person and the creator you're watching: YES, it absolutely does. Jason, your recommendation was spot on. Thank you for including the link. This tool has been a game-changer for me. Keep up the great work!
Steam box isn't needed if you only plan to bend a couple pieces. It's just soaking the wood, after all. I have done plenty of wood bending with just a tray of hot water. You would of course need to leave to dry longer. The longer the grains, the easier the bend. Like how a steak is chewier when cut along the grain. Pick pieces where the grain is as straight as possible for best results.
For a smaller scale you can use schedule 40 pvc pipe. PVC is a poor conductor of heat so the steam works fast. I used a new metal gas can on a camp stove to generate the steam.
I made a thermal box not too dissimilar to the steam box, but as a cooler, not a heater. I glued full 4x8 sheets of 2” insulation together, using just plain old wood glue. I then glued 1/8” hardboard to the outside, capped the ends in a similar fashion, and cut holes in each end. One hole is for the door. The other end holds an air conditioner. I put taps in the wall, turned on the A/C, hooked the taps to beer. Voila! The U.P.’s largest kegerator.
Presoaking the wood will help it take less time to steam. Also green wood and natural dried take less time than kiln dried. It's all about moisture content.
For short pieces like that you don't even need a steambox to be honest. Just a PP bag with a small venthole cut into it and something that generates steam, like to get wallpaper off the walls, and bob's your uncle.
I only have theoretical knowledge of steam bending wood.... I think, the amount of time needed for the wood to get bendable is quite dependent on the species, not just size. I have seen my father bend wood, MANY years ago, at in my memory, the "density" of steam he had going, was thicker than what seems to be in your box. I am by no means criticising, merely suggesting, that you probably have several parameters you can change/adjust to get good bends. Most likely, training/experience is needed to perfect the process. Very interesting video 👍👍
1:53 “There’s more of this missing which means it must be a better product.” THIS is why I love when great creators like yourself include random quips that show your thought process…whether you were being serious or funny, it shows how you think. Personally- I tend to see the same situation in a different light. My thoughts tend to run along the lines of: “hmmm, they don’t stock this product very well which must mean nobody buys it because it’s shit.” Where you see low inventory = high demand, my mind jumps straight to low inventory = low demand. Perspective is important!
You should check out Lou’s method for steaming large timbers with a plastic bag roll. It’s very efficient and would save time and money. “Steam bending wood without a steam box” - Tips from a Shipwright (YT channel). I think you had fun and that’s all that matters.
Jason, not only do you need clear, knot-free wood, but it also helps a lot to use an axe or hatchet to cleave the parent piece of wood so that the wood splits very parallel to the natural grain. Once you have that new cleave edge, you can joint that edge and then cut your strips indexed from there, you'll be surprised how successful your bends are and how strong the resulting pieces will be.
if it's a temporary thing, build it out of thick plywood and drill a hole in the end of a hinged door to fit a wallpaper steamer tube in. you're good to go.
Jason, I live in the samectown you do. I know you get most of your wood from The Hardwood Center, but I am wondering if you have ever shopped at the Hardwood and Plywood Specialty shop over by Arby's? I haven't went there before, but am curious.
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ruclips.net/video/CkObGR4iCyw/видео.htmlsi=Krcn-B-E1SgobC2Q
thanks
I worked in a cereal plant and we used large steam tumblers to cook the grains. The key to efficient and fast steaming is to have flow through the vessel not just to add steam under pressure. It works best to put the steam in and then have a vent to let some out so that the steam is allowed to go in the box, give up it's heat then flow out so new steam can come in and give up it's heat.
Similar to a smoker as well. Air flow is super important for exposing the meat to the smoke.
Thanks for the tip. It explains why i had a difficult time getting some 1/4 slats to soften. Oddly enough I was steaming them to straighten the tambour slats of a 100 year old cabinet.
I love the steam box. Next time you're out and about, stop by a fabric store and grab a cloth tape measure. I keep a couple of them in my bench drawer. Really handy for measuring around curves.
Xxx18
Run the drain line back in to your steamer reuse the condensate that way you won’t need to refill as often
I read an article in Popular Mechanics (August 1984: I just looked it up. It is probably available via your library in digital form) detailing Former President Jimmy Carter's woodworking. He was a bodger (chair maker) working with green and dry woods. (Envision bent back hickory chairs) He described his steam bending system which was a length of stove pipe connected to a 90 degree L. The L went into a pot of boiling water, the wood went into the longer stove pipe and the end was stuffed with rags. The pipe was angled so condensed water flowed back into the pot. I had done some college coursework with steam bending so I decided to try the system an I was overall impressed: Simple, low cost, not much storage space and it worked for what I wanted,
Edit: Wood grain is a huge factor in successful steam bending: Straight grain is a requirement!! Species also plays a part, As I remember white oak is probably the "best" species.
I came here to say that. It looks like he used red oak in this video. Red oak sucks to try and steam bend, whereas white oak is great! I took a chair making class in Baltimore with J. Alexander. The other problem here is he’s likely using kiln dried lumber, which also sucks. Green lumber will bend way better without breaking. So, were he to use green white oak, things would’ve been way easier!
FYI- being a Halloween prop building fan and making lots of stuff from that same foam, your can of Great Stuff is one of the best glues for the foam board. Shoot some Great stuff, hold the parts together with some wooden skewers for a bit and the foam board is stuck really good.
You should’ve made a sign that said STEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Great video. That’s one heavy duty, fancy pants steam box! We just use PVC pipe and call it a day. Works great and half the weight. Hey, on another note, make sure you keep it vented so it doesn’t build up too much pressure inside. Your drain will do the job. Just make sure it’s open.
Pro tip: (like legit tip from my parents who were both professional sheetmetal workers) if you use the aluminum seam tape from the roll instead of cutting strips off first, you can keep the backing paper longer than the aluminum tape and not spend 20 minutes getting it to peel off each time.
@ATG19534, I wish I had realized that trick when I was replacing an exterior door in my house! I spent so much time trying to get the backing off of that dang butyl flashing tape...
Here's an idea for measuring those arches (right around the 17:50 mark): get a tailors measuring tape. They're 100% flexible and can fit those curves perfectly. They may not be 1/16 or 1/32 accurate, but they are far more effective than using a metal measuring tape.
I use one to measure log circumference from time to time. Works a charm.
I’m convinced you and Lincoln St. have colluded with each other!
Thanks for your very nice video. I did some wood bending, too when I restored my guitar case. I just plunged the wood in a rain barrel for 30 minutes and bent it with my heat gun. I remember snapping 2 beechwood strips, but then it went fine. One of those strips definitely was weakened by a knot. With this very basic and simple setup I was able to bend a very small radius.
My second project with this setup was bending beech veneer for lamp shades. That was easy and a lot of fun too.
At least you know the Steam Box's prostate is good.. Cool DIY Design!!
Jason
Years ago we made a steam box to bend 1" oak boat ribs.
We used pvc pipe, radiator hose, metel 1 gallon can with water, heated with a kerosene torpedo heater. Took a while but it worked ..
Former boat builder here. All our wood to be steamed was steamed green. It just was much more cooperative. Also quarter sawn or riven.
Hey something I learned over the years bending hand railings for projects. Kiln-dried lumber doesn't respond well to steam bending. It gets softer but it doesn't really retain and hold its shape. Air-dried lumber will take a bend and hold its shape better when dried.
90% of commercially available lumber is kiln-dried. Finding air dried lumber is a challenge
it would take a trip to the boondocks to find a smaller sawmill operation
Nice work! You could round the corners of the outer part of the model, were the steamed wood first touches it, to reduce friction and make the clamping more smooth.
Nice to see your young fella helping you
Thanks Jason. I guess I won’t be posting a video on building a steam box. You killed it!! Nice job brother!
I'll tell you what else won't bend besides wood with knots in it… wood with wormholes in it! I once made a kitchen out of wormy Chestnut. I too needed some bent beading like yours and no amount of steaming would allow that worm-holey stuff to bend without breaking. I was down to plan C before I hit on what worked...cutting a bunch of super thin strips and glue laminating them in an arched form. Rounded over the edge with a beading bit in a router table. Worked great! 😮💨
Have built many round top and elliptical top door jambs with this method. The steam thing is pretty bougie.
Used to stream trim all the time here on the shore in Ct, lots of old coastal homes with the round torrent like rooms on one end. Simple to build, 10 ft piece of 4” PVC pipe and 2 end caps and a Wall paper steamer. Drill out one cap for the hose from the steamer, vent the other end, works perfectly and is cheap.
What a great build!
Years ago I used schedule 80 conducted making a steam box I was making Windsor chairs. It worked fine.😊
Also, can't wait for the Forman to get a channel. It would be nice to watch it with my son to make small projects.
Sweet! You guys are amazing with the DIY stuff! 👍😃 About out to Ghost Gate openers for being so generous! 💖
A great project for your shop, Jason. All is not lost with those broken under-steamed strips. Just cut them into 12 inch lengths for paInt-stirrers. Ta-da!
to make the temperature probe last, soder the tip. cutting the well exposes the sensor and wears it out quicker.
It’s funny that the steam generator is just what Wagner used to sell as a wallpaper steamer 25 years ago. Still have one down in my basement from working on our first house.
Nice job
My Saturday morning just got a whole lot better! Thanks for the vid!
1/4” door weather stripping spaced an inch from the edge of the steam tube inside the door will seal the one end when you close the door !!! Building up the heat just that bit more !! Helping penetrate the wood a little bit better !!!
There is special adhesive for rigid pink foam board. Comes in a tube for a caulk gun like construction adhesive. It doesn't melt the foam board.
as always - a brilliant job!
Much simpler to use 10 or 12” CPVC pipe and an old pressure cooker(Goodwill $5) with a compression fitting inserted into the pressure vent hole, usually 1/4” pipe thread. Then use a piece of scrap 1/4” copper tubing to conduct the steam into the pvc pipe. Use a slip cap glued on one end of the tube and a threaded cap and slip-to-thread adapter on the other end that you feed the lumber into. CPVC does not corrode with water. Make a simple stand that will support the full length of pipe with a 1” drop for each 10’ of pipe. Plumb the copper tubing into the bottom of your feed end. Next install a 1/4” x 2” copper tubing pointed down for a drain on the opposite lower end. A valve is not necessary, as you want steam to flow easily throughout the tube. Ensure you use a catch pan or bucket to collect the condensate and tannins from the tube. For the rack use dowels like he does. A regular chef’s style thermometer can be inserted into a 3/16” hole drilled into the top of the tube on the drain end. (thermometer is available at resale shops) Load your steamer with the wood, making sure to have space between each piece. Now fill your pressure cooker 2/3 full with water and 1 pinch of salt. Set it on a hot plate (another thrift store find $5-10) and raise the heat setting until you produce steam then put the screw cap on. CPVC is rated at 200 degrees F for non pressurized applications. Water will boil at 212F but will still produce steam at slightly lower temps. Keep it as low as possible but still making steam. If your steaming tube is getting too hot, run it intermittently. 3-5 minutes on, 15 minutes off. This will keep the tube from gaining too much heat. Once you believe that your wood is pliable, shut your hot plate off. (time varies depending on lumber dimensions, density, type, etc.) You will get a feel for it, the more you use your steamer. Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before opening to check. Keep your face away from the cap as you remove it. It’s also a good idea to wear eye protection and heat resistant gloves while doing this. Be careful because steam burns are deep burns!! Good luck and enjoy!!!!😊
Interesting and entertaining, as usual. Looking forward to videos about your house in the woods.
Wow! Never seen such a sophisticated steambox! I've been using steel pipes, pvc pipes and now a non-insulated wooden steambox (fir) and it all goes well! So yours should do great (and did). However I would create some kind of pressure valve on it as steam might build up some pressure inside and you don't want that pretty door to be blown out. About the timings that you mentioned,1 hour for each inch of wood (oak or similar) is accurate. however, you need to start the timing at the moment the box is fully heated and I think you started your timing while you were still building up steam and heat. Also, the wood should be completely soaked in water (we water for 4 to 6 weeks for 3/4inch oak for steambending frames in boats). When the wood is dry, the steam will not reach to the cells on the inside of the wood so those will not be softened and will likely break. When the inner cells are soaked, the temperature of the pipe will rise and the water inside the wood will start boiling, softening up the grains and cells. And indeed, knots will not be softened so the wood will break on any knot that is there. Carefully select your stock for steambending and use stock that is free of knots and has a straight and horizontal grain. Finally, when you take the wood out of the box, you have about ten minutes to bend it (with the thin stock you were using probably less) before it cools down and cannot be bended anymore. Loved watching your video's and great to see you solved all the issues that you encountered and reached your goal
Can't wait to get me one of them knives! Gotta find a way to work it into the budget! Price point on them is right where it needs to be! Well done all around on the knife
To help it from breaking you can use a metal band around the side away from you (this compresses the fibers as you are bending them).
I was going to say the same thing. A piece of aluminum flashing works, or if you're adventurous, a piece of very thin spring steel. Guitar builders do it all the time with a silicone heating blanket to get the wood up to temperature, and the side is supported on both sides with a piece of spring steel, supporting the wood as it bends. I've even done it with a piece of aluminum flashing with handles on each end and bent sides on a pipe, in the traditional manner. I prefer the jig.
that spray foam works really well to glue ridge foam together.....
Everything after 7:00 is pretty much extra. If all you need is the box. If you need to do this for a few projects. The outer body is good if you want to use the heck out of the new tool though. The other way to do the support dowels rack would be cut a bunch of shorts at an angle to be the top & 2 long rails to attach them all to. This option is removable if you need that sort of thing. This also doesn't completely negate the first step of sealing up the tube.
You can get more or tighter radii if you glue laminate the curves with several veneer thick strips or similar methods.
Cool project.
Just a note that all the holes with the dowels etc. are going to give the steam a path behind the pipe and foam. Theres a decent chance you will end up with water held against the ply. I cant suggest a better way to do it, though.
That's a well (over)engineered steam box for such tiny strips of wood. Should last you a life-time! I've been getting by for 15 years with a length of 4.5 inch PVC sewer pipe on an under-frame of roof battens (hot PVC sags, I discovered early on) and a steam cleaner, building steam-bent Windsor chairs and the like. But if my rig ever gives up, I might well push the boat out and built to your pattern. If you can get hold of riven green wood for steaming (failing that, air-dried) you'll find you have much less issue with breakage.
I think I would consider giving the strips “bath” in water for maybe 15+ minutes prior to steaming them. Just a thought, respectfully submitted.
Agreed. Steaming ribs for my boat I soaked the timber to get it as wet as possible prior to steaming. Worked well.
you need a compression strap, that keeps it from breaking, also air dried lumber is better for steam bending that kiln
Thank you for looking as I-Wish-I-Was-MacGyver as I do on my average big-box trips. 👍
Great video! Maybe round the corner of the form that the wood strip is rubbing against as you form it. Might make it start easier.
To measure curves use a dress makers measuring tape, its made from cloth.
Good box, gets the job done! I think for the rack, I'd avoid drilling all the holes allowing steam escaping into the insulation (even though The Foreman did an excellent job flush-trimming the dowels), and instead simply cut a few short pieces of dowel, just shy of the diameter of the duct pipe, then brad-nail the ends to 2 long strips, making one long rack. The rack could easily slide in and out of the box to allow the steaming of thinner 'floppy' pieces that would be difficult to feed in from the end, or would be totally removable for situations where a rack is not needed. To prevent the rack rotating around under an off-center load, a row down each side of the pipe of a few Thixo-sealed screws or rivets projecting into the duct pipe before insulating and assembly of the box would take care of that.
here to comment how clean this angle looks. must be getting g stuff done on the old home office part. that’s exciting
A couple of thoughts, first you should consider having your steam nozzle at the opposite end of the box, from your drain. This should improve the heat distribution. Both at one end create a barrier of steam flashing to water.
For future boxes consider Coosa Composites. Coosa's Bluewater panels are high-density polyurethane closed-cell foam that is glass fiber reinforced. The panels can be glued with 2 part marine epoxy. The panels are dimensionally stable. They 99.4% non-wickicking, making them mold resistant, insect resistant and non-rotting.
We just rebuilt our basements family room. The cost is pricey, but result is better than expected.
Bob
Great video! does anyone else see the words eat me at 13:46? 🤣 I'm sure unintentional but hilarious none the less!😂
Certainly the most complicated steambox ever created. I have a steambox based on a design from Mike Dunbar of the Windsor Chair maker fame. 7 foot length of schedule 80 PCV pipe, 2 threaded end caps,, stainless steel bolts as your rests for the wood to be steamed, a propane burner for a turkey deep fryer and a 5 gallon waste oil collection can fitted with a radiator hose. Drill a drain hole at the bottom of one end of the pipe near the end cap that is not used. Drill a 2nd hole near the first end cap that will be your loading dock. Insert fitting to accept the radiator hose, build a simple cross buck rack to hold the pipe at a slight downward angle, attach radiator hose to can and pipe, place on burner, fire it up and when steam starts exiting drain hole at end of pipe, you are ready to steam your wood. You can steam for hours if you need to do batches and pipe will last for 20 years or more.
Great points! Jason seems like an awesome guy but for my taste he spends a staggering amount of money on every projects. So much so that I cannot even relate to his vids anymore. He seems to be following the path that April Wilkerson followed where a reasonable project budget is of no consideration. Sometimes success can ruin a good thing. But I wish him the very best.
I'm glad the foreman was able to take care of whatever was in your beard. He's just looking out for you.
You can buy rolls of continuous plastic bag material. This lets you steam and bend in place around a form no rushing to fight a part into position as its cooling on you. It keeps heat on after it's bent. Cheap quick and handles large parts of arbitrary length. A poor seal at the ends inflates the bag with steam yet lets it travel thru the tube. Old metal gas cans on turkey friers etc works for steaming big stuff.
Just go to your local plumbing supply and get some 8" pvc, 1 rigid cap, and 1 screw cleanout cap. Job done. No need for all of this and will save a crapload of money not to mention have a better functioning steamer.
Nice steamer! Thanks for showing your mistakes. It helps to show those who are going to attempt this, what to avoid. Or at least try to avoid. 😂
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
You have got to be my absolute favorite wood worker on RUclips... I wish I could afford right now to be one of your patreon members that gets the chance to have you come to my shop in Michigan.
@@doriglenn1358 I think I would like to do either an island or a built in for my tv wall
@@doriglenn1358 could 100% use a new desk too
Nice knife! 😊
Your adventure seemed to go very much like mine: overkill on the box with no previous experience (except I added vent holes), wasted money on the first steamer, then a shocking batch of progressive time lengthening failures… until after 3 hours of steaming 1/4” spruce with no successful bends I finally gave up. I resorted to steaming 1/8” strips then bending those in pairs and laminating them after. I still have no idea why spruce won’t soften enough to bend.
Yay the foreman. Now my weekend is off to a great start
Very good work man hope to have a shop like yours eventually 😅
Jason, PLEASE get sponsored by the makers of the countersink bit you use!
I ordered one after watching your video and WOW, it’s exactly what I needed. If you're reading this and wondering, "Does it really work?" Take it from a random internet person and the creator you're watching: YES, it absolutely does.
Jason, your recommendation was spot on. Thank you for including the link. This tool has been a game-changer for me.
Keep up the great work!
Steam box isn't needed if you only plan to bend a couple pieces. It's just soaking the wood, after all. I have done plenty of wood bending with just a tray of hot water. You would of course need to leave to dry longer.
The longer the grains, the easier the bend. Like how a steak is chewier when cut along the grain. Pick pieces where the grain is as straight as possible for best results.
Osturduckensquab. 5 layers of roast fowl.
For a smaller scale you can use schedule 40 pvc pipe. PVC is a poor conductor of heat so the steam works fast. I used a new metal gas can on a camp stove to generate the steam.
I made a thermal box not too dissimilar to the steam box, but as a cooler, not a heater. I glued full 4x8 sheets of 2” insulation together, using just plain old wood glue. I then glued 1/8” hardboard to the outside, capped the ends in a similar fashion, and cut holes in each end. One hole is for the door. The other end holds an air conditioner. I put taps in the wall, turned on the A/C, hooked the taps to beer. Voila! The U.P.’s largest kegerator.
I think if the knot is in the middle third of shape will always be a problem. In the the outer thirds, you might be OK. But then what do I know.
OR if the strip was somehow supported during the bend, that may have worked also
Presoaking the wood will help it take less time to steam. Also green wood and natural dried take less time than kiln dried. It's all about moisture content.
I had that exact same duct buying experience at my HD. Nothing easily accessible so I had to lift 60+ lbs of sharp ducts out in a single roll.
For short pieces like that you don't even need a steambox to be honest. Just a PP bag with a small venthole cut into it and something that generates steam, like to get wallpaper off the walls, and bob's your uncle.
Steam must flow like water ie in and out. You must fit a relief hole to allow the steam to pass through the box.
I only have theoretical knowledge of steam bending wood.... I think, the amount of time needed for the wood to get bendable is quite dependent on the species, not just size.
I have seen my father bend wood, MANY years ago, at in my memory, the "density" of steam he had going, was thicker than what seems to be in your box.
I am by no means criticising, merely suggesting, that you probably have several parameters you can change/adjust to get good bends.
Most likely, training/experience is needed to perfect the process.
Very interesting video 👍👍
Maybe create some kind of drill attachment to replace the clamp and make it easier for yourself
Cool.
Awesome! I didn't realize they can be so small. Did the drain work?
1:53 “There’s more of this missing which means it must be a better product.”
THIS is why I love when great creators like yourself include random quips that show your thought process…whether you were being serious or funny, it shows how you think.
Personally- I tend to see the same situation in a different light. My thoughts tend to run along the lines of: “hmmm, they don’t stock this product very well which must mean nobody buys it because it’s shit.”
Where you see low inventory = high demand, my mind jumps straight to low inventory = low demand.
Perspective is important!
A piece of thin sprung steel will help stop the splitting, experience from a few steam/ heat bending projects, like guitar sides.
Old bandsaw blades with the teeth ground blunt work well for this.
Picked the can color that there is less of is my pro move too 🤣🤣🤣
Another fun video! Well, "fun" might be a bit strong... but definitely excellent.
You should check out Lou’s method for steaming large timbers with a plastic bag roll. It’s very efficient and would save time and money. “Steam bending wood without a steam box” - Tips from a Shipwright (YT channel). I think you had fun and that’s all that matters.
Jason, not only do you need clear, knot-free wood, but it also helps a lot to use an axe or hatchet to cleave the parent piece of wood so that the wood splits very parallel to the natural grain. Once you have that new cleave edge, you can joint that edge and then cut your strips indexed from there, you'll be surprised how successful your bends are and how strong the resulting pieces will be.
And my Saturday morning is complete!
Rockler has steam box plans on there website last I saw are free it’s been a few months
if it's a temporary thing, build it out of thick plywood and drill a hole in the end of a hinged door to fit a wallpaper steamer tube in. you're good to go.
“I’m in a time crunch”. Then he proceeds to build a steam chamber with many unnecessary aesthetic features…. Awesome video man!!
Cool
I have seen some made from 3 or 4 inch pvc.
Yeah, that designated woodworking steam generator is a wall paper stripper!
Did you seal where the dowels enter the tube? Maybe I missed it.
How 'bout split pool noodles to fill in the corners?
I bet that steamer box would be perfect for some really big hot dogs.
How do you know that rigid foam cuts like butter? Please show a comparative video of cutting butter on the miter saw.
Thanks for the video!
So confused by the overbuilt box and then direct steam-on-wood contact at the opening and door :D
So how did the box hold up, long term?
Check out the heat gun and galvanized pipe bender. I use it for guitar side bending. That'd have been faster 🤔
"I'm on a time crunch and need a steam box!"
*Spends half the build making it look tidy*
Jason, I live in the samectown you do. I know you get most of your wood from The Hardwood Center, but I am wondering if you have ever shopped at the Hardwood and Plywood Specialty shop over by Arby's? I haven't went there before, but am curious.
Blue tape to measure the arch :)