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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Johan van Niekerk on April 15, 2015, 05:15:00 AM

Title: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: Johan van Niekerk on April 15, 2015, 05:15:00 AM

Hi,

Found this video and thought it would work for bending bows too  :)
 http://www.core77.com/posts/35838/A-Better-Way-to-Steam-Wood-for-Bending-Use-a-Plastic-Bag

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: J.F. Miller on April 15, 2015, 06:22:00 AM

thank for sharing. I can see this being applied to bow building very easily. wheels turning...

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: canopyboy on April 15, 2015, 09:12:00 AM

That's awesome. Thanks for posting. I love the old gas can as a steam generator.

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: mwosborn on April 15, 2015, 05:39:00 PM

Yep looks like it would work!  Thanks for sharing.

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: LittleBen on April 15, 2015, 09:12:00 PM

Yes thanks! That is awesome. Don't know if I will bother for bows, but I can tell you I'm definately doing that next time I need to bend gunwales.

The wife has been begging for a lapstrake Whitehall style rowing boat (she tells me this is a side effect of watching some romance movie) and I've been dreading every step of the build, so you've saved me much hassle, thanks again.

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: macbow on April 15, 2015, 10:27:00 PM

Thanks for posting . Very interisting.

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: Buemaker on April 16, 2015, 03:15:00 AM

Thank you. Mucho interesting. Bue--.

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: Mad Max on April 16, 2015, 08:19:00 AM

very nice Idea

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: snapper1d on April 16, 2015, 10:50:00 AM

I have done lots of steam bending.I build wood hoops for hoop nets and I have done bows this same way in the past.First I have a form built to put my hoops or bow on.Then I used a pressure cooker and a piece of rubber gas line hose.Then a piece of 4" pvc schedule 40 pipe with caps.Attach the hose to one cap with a hose barb or some times a male air hose adapter screwed into one cap.On the other end you need a small hole on the bottom of your pipe for condensed water and steam to come out.Oh and have your pipe tied down to something flat because steam will cause the pvc to get soft but with something to rest on you will have no problems with it.Put your wood to bend in the pipe with cap on and dont cover your vent hole.Steam your wood an hour for every inch thickness.Pull your hot wood out and clamp to your form and leave it for over night.The next day it will be shaped really well.I will see if I can find a video of this being done.

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: snapper1d on April 16, 2015, 10:54:00 AM

Here's a link.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwCMJY-hU-k

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: Roy from Pa on April 16, 2015, 02:33:00 PM

Pretty neat snapper..

Title: Re: Interesting idea when bending wood
Post by: monterey on April 16, 2015, 03:25:00 PM

All my gas cans are plastic!  Oh well. . . .