steaming

[anubis]

Can anyone advise on how to use steam to bend some internal ribs on my Tideway? They are U shaped.
Thanks
Robert

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[Peterduck]

It's a bit of a large subject to be covered here, but a few considerations are:- [1] use oak or ash [in Europe] and this should be freshly cut and still full of natural moisture. The steaming process will season the timber immediately.
[2] the stock should be ripped so that the grain does not run out to one side, or it will surely split. In earlier days rib stock was split to size rather than sawn to make sure that the grain ran true.
[3] Your steam generator must have heaps of capacity. You will never have too much steam, but you could easily have not enough.
[4] Steaming is a one-shot exercise; if you don't get it right first time, you can't put the timber back in to the steamer for a second go, so have plenty of stock over and above what you will need.
Get hold of a good textbook or three covering the subject, or seek assistance from someone experienced in the method.
Best of luck,
Peter.

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[mtb]

we used a length of 4"" drain pipe with a tube connected to a small boiler it worked fine appart from when the pressure built up so high lol the workshop was full of steam .....
This was pirana pine so not quite as critical as some fine grain stuff. Some old fella's would simply use green timber which had been left to soak in water and then bent to shape using a former.

Cheers
Mick

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[Guest]

Wise words from Peter.

About 20 to 30 minutes per square inch of the cross section of the timber should do the trick.

Try to work as quiclky as you can. The timber cools and loses moisture very quickly. Set the steam box up as close as you can and see if you can find someone to pass them to you from the steamer.

You can use 1 or 2 studding screws to hold the timber in place while its cooling.

Make sure you are well prepared (gloves, screws. cordless, wedges(if they help to secure the timber) etc). You wont have time to get anything once youve started.

Try to support the timber as best you can around the tight bends. They are more likely to snap on the apex of the bend if it has nothing to back it up.

knock off the arris's of the timbers. This will help reduce chances of snapping.

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