Steam Bending ?

Don Baer

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Staff member
OK as I stated in another thread "I need to build a steamer so that I can bend some oak pieces. So can anyone out there show me how they built their steam boxes. believe that Tod had a post about this but maybe it was on the other forum.
 
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I don't have any pics, but my steamer is just a piece of 6" PVC pipe, set across a sawbuck, with one end capped, and the other end removeable.

I cross drilled it about every 8" and inserted dowels across it to make a 'shelf' to hold my stock.

My steam source is a NEW (never used for fuel) 3 gallon metal gas can with a piece of automobile radiator hose fitted to the spout, and a propane turkey fryer burner. Two gallons of water begins to boil in under five minutes, and the steam volume is huge. Thirty minutes in the steamer does half inch stock very well, but you gotta work quickly.

Working time out of the steamer is way less than a minute. You might want to make up half a dozen (or more) forms so you can steam multiples. The bent pieces should stay on the forms at least overnight - I usually wait a couple days.

The bends for your chairs look to be compound curve. You'll probably need to make two-piece molds, and clamp them together to make the bends.

Oh, BTW, expect about a 30% loss due to splintering/breaking, so make some extras. DAMHIKT...
 
don,
if you want `em to all be the same steam bending isn``t the best choice.
every piece will have its own memory..
resawing and planing wide boards down and gluing them back together then ripping your bends off of the glue-up is much more stable. (and the face grain will be continuous)
 
don,
resaw 6" boards into 6"x 1/8" or so long enough to be "to long".....
plane those strips down to 1/16" or so? thin enough to bend your curves.
build forms, male-n-female or just one if you`ve got a bag? wax the forms and glue the thin boards together into a bent one 1/2" thick then resaw it.
 
You don't need a bag and vacuum pump to do those spindles. You can make a form from MDF and just clamp it. That's a pretty small laminate bending job. Unless you're going to use the bag and pump in the future, such as for veneer, you'll be spending a lot on something that won't get a lot of use.

If that's not clear, I can post some pictures of what I did - and tell you what I would change next time. I'm sure Tod can give some pointers also.

Mike
 
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Whoa - I am an EXPERT steam bender - NOT!!!

But,

I did actually steam bend - ONCE. I am so proud of myself!! :D

I used a charcoal grill, aluminum foil, 3 gallon galvanized pail, a step ladder(support) some PVC, and a bunch of PVC fittings a ceramic flowerpot base, epoxy and some bricks.

Just a minute - I will get a bunch of pics prepared.

I know I am doing a real good job at explaing - but plaease ask I willl get more detailed explanation.
 

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...I did actually steam bend - ...I used a charcoal grill, aluminum foil, 3 gallon galvanized pail, a step ladder(support) some PVC, and a bunch of PVC fittings a ceramic flowerpot base, epoxy and some bricks...

That's actually pretty neat, Leo. Innovative, too!

I did notice that the steam heat made the 2" pipe flex quite a bit - You probably coulda tied it in a knot by the time you were through, huh?
 
That's actually pretty neat, Leo. Innovative, too!

I did note that the steam heat made the 2" pipe flex quite a bit - You probably coulda tied it in a knot by the time you were through, huh?

Thank you,

Yeah - for a first timer I definately learned a lot. PVC does have a way of bending and sagging. Next time I will support it.

Well - at least - it worked.

maybe not picture perfect - but it worked.

Soo - in my anels of experiance - I at least know that steam bending ain't all so scientific - and it ain't all so hard to do.

Don't be intimidated - DO - try it. It's not all that hard to do.

BUT

You DO need to be fast - and you DO need to be prepared, and ready.
 
Like others said, a laminated bend will give you more control and better consistency of shapes. No vac bag needed. I would also recommend that you use a urea formaldehyde glue such as Dap Plastic Resin Glue. Gives you a little more open time and does not allow the creap that yella glue allows.
 
Don--
my steam maker
DSCF0005-1.jpg

it's best if the box is a little leaky-
DSCF0006-1.jpg

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one hr. in the box-
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bending form-
DSCF0003-1.jpg

always use a backing strap-fifteen min. in the form-
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drying jig-
DSCF0007-1.jpg

twenty four hr. in drying jig-
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perfect fit-
DSCF0032-1.jpg

alex
 
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