Shopsmith Forums

Has anyone tried this technique of bending wood?

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2009/04 ... troduction

I am aware of the steam box and laminate approaches but this is the first time I have seen this. It does look to be faster but only works for thinner parts.

I saw this too. I have seen a similar bending method where live steam was used which of course is out of the question for most of us. This looks simple enough to do but not sure I'll ever take the time to try it out, so much to do and so little time.....

I have a steam box and it is a slow process. This looks like it would be pretty quick to heat up a section of pipe with a torch and start working. Well of course you would pre-soak the wood.

The biggest issue I have had was finding decent wood to bend. Kiln dried wood doesn't work well and finding air dried is difficult unless you know someone or have some raw wood to do your own. I guess I could buy some fire wood but.....

I wonder if some sort of ceramic heater could be found to get rid of the open flame? Not sure I like the idea of the open flame unless you get the pipe hot enough then turn it off and use it quickly before it cools off???

Ed

sehast wrote:Has anyone tried this technique of bending wood?

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2009/04 ... troduction

I am aware of the steam box and laminate approaches but this is the first time I have seen this. It does look to be faster but only works for thinner parts.

I guess I missed the issue with kiln dried wood. That kind of kills it for me and if you did use a torch I would want to be outside in the open air.

Ed, I have seen exactly the set-up you are envisioning used to bend the hour-glass shaped sides of mountain dulcimers and also the oval shapes of Shaker boxes. As I recall, the heating element placed in the pipe was an oval shaped ceramic with resistance wire coiling around the outside of the ceramic.

The reason, I believe, that many prefer steam for bending is that steam will soften the lignin without any danger of scorching the wood. Dry bending over a hot pipe requires some finesse and timing to avoid having to scrape or sand off the burn marks.

reible wrote: I wonder if some sort of ceramic heater could be found to get rid of the open flame? Not sure I like the idea of the open flame unless you get the pipe hot enough then turn it off and use it quickly before it cools off???

Ed

sehast wrote:Has anyone tried this technique of bending wood?

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2009/04 ... troduction

I am aware of the steam box and laminate approaches but this is the first time I have seen this. It does look to be faster but only works for thinner parts.

many years ago our neighbor made fiddles , violins , and he did something very similar . his water trough was also heated
By the way the only difference between violins and fiddles ? a violin has strings and a fiddle has straaangs!!

Sorry, I don’t check in often enough but yes I’ve done some hot pipe bending. I use it to shape tight bends in stringing for marquetry pieces. I made up a very simple bender based on google and YouTube searches and it worked great first time.