daveq Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Does anyone here have experience steaming wood for bending? I bent a maple top last night and it seems to have turned out fine but I wanted to see if there is a better way. I used a regular clothes iron and set it to max heat. Once it was warmed up, I held it just off the surface of the wood for a while and tried to apply pressure to the maple. I flipped it over and steamed the other side from time to time. The whole process probably took at least 15 minutes (no clock in my work area). The wood got very hot and never really became very flexible. I was able to get it to bend using the clamps and eventually got it glued on. I have one more maple top to do soon and I wanted to see if there is a better way to go about this. The top I just did was a bit less than 1/4". The next one will be exactly 1/4" so I'm anticipating a bit of a harder time with this one. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks, dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Had a conversation about bending wood in the pub last night! One of my mates said that instead of steaming the wood if you compress it along the direction of the fibres and dehumidify it over a certain length of time (can't remember how long) when it comes out you have a piece of wood that is very very flexible. You bend it by adding a sprinkling of water. Dunno if it's true, but he's quite a reliable guy thats not usually prone to talking out of his arse. Might be worth a look anyway. I also remember my dad tapeing the on button of the kettle down and using the steam from that (but everyone knows that method). Hope this might be of some help, I'll try to get more details next time I see him. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 I wrote "bending wood" (with the quotes) in Google and the first search result was this: http://www.megspace.com/lifestyles/njmarine/Steam.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Thanks for the link. Very complicated though. I thought someone here at projectguitar had done the arm rest bend before - maybe Scott R. ? I don't remember him saying that it was that involved but I do like to see alternate methods. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 1, 2003 Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted November 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 Thanks, I was actually reading that one today. One thing that bothered me about it was the routing on the back. Are they assuming that you are using binding? I don't know how else you could hide the routed channel from being seen from the side. Also, I can't tell you how many times people have said to not get water any where near a maple top - oh well. When using steam: How flexible is the top supposed to be? Should it be easy to move with your hands? I get the impression that it will only be moveable with significant pressure (such as the pressure applied by the clamps). By significant, I don't mean enough to actually risk splitting the wood, but it would probably require pressing down with some strength. This is where I was a little lost when doing it for the first time. I thought that the wood would become pretty easy to move (almost limp) but that was definitely not the case. I know it's hard to describe in a message like this, but if anyone can tell me how to guage when the wood is flexible enough, I would like to hear your opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 Put it in the bath tub in hot water. Then clamp in the shape it needs to be for like 2-3days, the thicker, the longer. Then glue when it is dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 it was me I dampened the wood first then heated it with a steam iron before putting it in the vacuum bag. Also keep the steam away from the glue joint if your top is bookmatched Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 put it in the bath tub in hot water????would someone please clarify this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 Yes. The soft Lanolin contained in Dove soap will soften the Maple and give it a beautiful, lively, effervescent look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 The tub and hot water I use for "steaming" big pieces of wood. The dove soap thing? think its a joke. But seriously, the tub will do the same as steam. You may need to change the water a time or two. You want it HOT HOT HOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnuk Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 We have a video about how to make your own bows. It's been a while since I watched it, but I think I remember seeing them steaming the timber so they could form it into a compound shape. I'm pretty sure it was bows, but it might have been something else. The steaming thing they did it in was an all over method, rather than applied at a point. They left it in there steaming for hours and then bent it by applying some pressure to it, rather than the wood just bending with human force alone. I think they might have also used pressurised steam... do you have a pressure cooker? See if there's anything around your house you could put the top it while it is steamed, like a water tank. A big polysytrene box off a Hi-Fi or something like that would work great I would guess. The heat from the steam would be contained very well. I think in the US they even sell big polysytrene boxes like this as coolers for drinks at things like BBQ's. I've never seen them like that here in the UK, we have them lined in plastic instead, which is probably the same as in the US now as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 A bat tub would work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnuk Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 A bat tub would work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted November 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 So I'm a little confused how my bookmaatched maple top could survive the bath tub treatment. I would expect a disaster - so this method would probably be best for pieces of wood that are not already glued up? I'm still not sure how well this would work for me in the future (I already have the other one glued) since having one piece bent may make it harder to clamp while joining the two pieces. I do appreciate your sharing of ideas though. I'm sure that info will come in handy some day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 ummm I don't know alot a bout steaming, but hasant your nice peice of maple just spent like two years drying out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 i would not do that without ALOT of reassurance from MULTIPLE and HIGHLY REGARDED sources.on the other hand if i was building a boat,that is the way i would go.otherwise i would go with scott on this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted November 4, 2003 Report Share Posted November 4, 2003 The tub works fine. I havent had any problems arise. The wood doesnt get as saturated as one would think. As long as the water is HOT. cold water wont evaporate like hot will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted November 4, 2003 Report Share Posted November 4, 2003 the only issue I'd have with the tub method is if the top was bookmatched. I would be concerned about the glue joint softening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 4, 2003 Report Share Posted November 4, 2003 so the wood dries without splitting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted November 4, 2003 Report Share Posted November 4, 2003 Yup, no cracking at all. I need to do this to a large piece of walnut that "cupped" when drying. I'll let you know how the shower treats it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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