I love how this method is no frills and straight to the point. Thanks for the info
@nickdunbar29678 жыл бұрын
Just the way I like 'em. Straightforward and easy to understand. Cheers mate!
@Rignold11 ай бұрын
Perfect.... Just what I was looking for.....
@BRaff-hl4ip6 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing this technique. It will be put to good use when constructing my laminated curved roof trusses.
@kerryclawson7533 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the great video and explanation.
@bobbygrace85795 жыл бұрын
Thanks ! The best set up and explanation for me !!
@Lote143210 жыл бұрын
Another great video. You make some of the most informative videos on KZfaq. Keep it up!
@sabrinasantana78094 жыл бұрын
your tutorial and tips were spectacular, you shone sharing. I put it into practice here in Brazil and it worked. My retired spouse and I are both happy to learn from you my young man and we will help so many others here. even having some difficulty in the language and some hearing limitation due to age, we persist in understanding you, after all we have plenty of time kkkkkk. Parts written in the video were crucial. God bless you.
@enduringcharm4 жыл бұрын
Wow, that's really great to hear! I'm glad it helped, and it's inspiring to know that age is not a factor in learning.
@wavehaven15 жыл бұрын
4+ years ltr, this is one of the better videos - Old timer way.... use what you have laying around 1st even though you can buy it new.
@villanuevaemmanuelhesuss.15189 жыл бұрын
Ah, finally, now i can now bend wood for making of Bow!
@johngalt19318 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. Looks very practicable. I'll give it a try.
@locktite4016 жыл бұрын
Excellent, just what I was looking for. Thanks!!
@richgouette4 жыл бұрын
great video amigo, thanks!
@gregpenny43845 жыл бұрын
Thank you, I have been over thinking what to use to make the steam, use the kiss principle, ( keep it simple stupid ) again thank you for making life much easier.
@icespeckledhens7 жыл бұрын
A very good video on steam bending
@petecirca19799 жыл бұрын
Great video.
@thebabylon29336 жыл бұрын
A wonderful and useful film
@ilgvarsskadins16359 жыл бұрын
Thank You, great lesson
@anthonybot71657 жыл бұрын
I found a bunch of cans on Craigslist, great steam idea
@gateway88335 жыл бұрын
Something I did was to put the steam box on a slight angle and placed a drain in and as the steam returns to liquid it can be drained back into the steam pot.
@enduringcharm5 жыл бұрын
That's a good idea, especially if you will have a long steam session. You may still need to add more water, but it will cut down the amount needed.
@dakaraius5 жыл бұрын
Thanks. I'm making one of these about 12inches long as I only need to bend very small pieces. I will use an old wallpaper steamer. Fingers crossed
@erichanastacio96953 жыл бұрын
If it's just short... Can you just... boil it? Sorry, I don't know what the difference would be if wood was boiled or steamed.
@enduringcharm9 жыл бұрын
Birgit. there are practical limits on how wide the wood can be to bend. Without getting into industrial sized steam boxes and specialized techniques for bending, you'll be limited to pieces the size of what you find in a chair or in architectural wood trim.
@ScoutSniper31245 жыл бұрын
Is that Metric or SAE Loosey Goosey? Nice Video, one observation, since steam rises if you put your vent hole(s) down lower on the far end of the box from the supply, the steam will be contained better in the box, but still allow for venting to avoid overpressure. In fact if you put the vent hole on the bottom far end, and put a slight incline where the vent is at the lowest point, it serves double duty as both the vent and a drain hole for the condensate.
@birgitfrietman9 жыл бұрын
Is it possible to create a square steam box, if you want to curve wider pieces of wood? Does the process still work then? Thanks!
@erichanastacio96953 жыл бұрын
Suggestion: instead of having to open/close that cap for adding water... Why not replace it with a pipe with a one-way valve and a funnel on top of it? The funnel lets you add water easily and goes down through the one-way valve... And the valve is preventing the steam to come out of it. So basically.... You just add water... no more unscrewing / screwing of the cap. You won't get scalded by the steam either. Theoretically, the idea is logical... but in reality, I don't know. I have never ever tried it.
@sniper606056 жыл бұрын
I like it!
@abdullahayub487 жыл бұрын
thanks broo
@dabobsy6 жыл бұрын
good video thanks now i knew how to make one but is will work good in wooden factory or we need some different raw material for the box and the steam supplier
@enduringcharm6 жыл бұрын
Factory production, where speed and volume are important, requires a different approach. They use various methods, including strap compression, male and female molds, and steel forms in combination with either soaking, steam, or heated forms.
@jimstools39377 жыл бұрын
Your video is great. I want to make one of these. That box is 9' . The only thing is, where did you get that gas can from? Is it safe to use, and how much water do you put in it?
@enduringcharm7 жыл бұрын
You can still buy new metal gas cans, although you may need to remove or alter the safety pour device that comes with them. Really any metal pot or can will be fine. You could even use the big pot that comes with turkey fryers if you modify the lid to accept a pipe and to stay in place when the water is boiling. Fill the can up fairly high and keep adding water slowly enough that you don't slow the boiling. If you buy a used can, just allow any residual gas fumes to escape before you crank up that heat!
@jimstools39377 жыл бұрын
Thanks for getting back to me . That was fast.
@icespeckledhens7 жыл бұрын
I have seen kettles being used for steam generators, you just need to top them up frequently.
@supercarpanter75835 жыл бұрын
Yes
@Pab6666 жыл бұрын
Great video and this gives me the urge to build one, smaller but same idea. I was wondering , could you bend plywood with this technique? or would subjecting the ply to that kind of moisture make it delaminate? I'm looking for a way to bend 1/2 baltic birch ply (multi ply stuff) . I've heard of people using wet rags over the area that will be bent, soaking it for days before attempting to bend. Same concern there, would the glue fail?
@enduringcharm6 жыл бұрын
No, steam bending plywood would be a mistake. However, you are in luck. There is such thing as a bendable plywood, which goes by different names depending on the manufacturer. It comes in different species and thicknesses too. Find a good local lumberyard or specialty plywood retailer and they can order it for you.
@petermoritz24528 жыл бұрын
If i could bend a 1x1.5 strip with about a 12in radius.... Looking it placed horizontally, the top and bottom sides would lose they parallel position? I would need to make a bunch of those and stack them with glue.
@enduringcharm8 жыл бұрын
+Peter Moritz If I understand you correctly you were hoping to take a one inch thick by one and a half inch wide strip of wood and bend it to a 12 inch radius? That's not going to happen. This technique might get you to that radius with a quarter inch or maybe a half inch thickness if you had a green, open pored wood like oak. The edges of the strips would still "pinch", though and not remain parallel to each other. Steam bending has it's limits! Some chairmaking requires bending of thicker wood, but not to that kind of radius. There are specialized manufacturing processes with bands or straps added to the heat process that can reach a tighter radius, but those require specialized machinery.
@enduringcharm8 жыл бұрын
+Peter Moritz I think you accidentally responded to a previous comment, but I saw it. That video you reference illustrates my point. They are using a homemade version of the specialized machinery found in factory bending processes. It's pretty tricky to bend wood when you get into larger sizes. Don't let me stop you from trying! To maximize your chances, use green wood, use something like oak, and cook the living hell out of it! Bending it with a strap over a form helps control the bending and avoids breaks.
@barneyrebel01236 жыл бұрын
This would work for straightening wood too correct? I'm using Rustic Hickory wood, for a computer desk project. A lot of the 10' boards I've been getting, have a 1/4 - 1/2" bow to them. I'm thinking that, if I use a box like this, pulling the wood out, and clamping it down to a flat surface, it should straighten it correct?
@enduringcharm6 жыл бұрын
I presume the bow you are talking about is not on the edges of the boards but on the flat surface? You don't mention if the hickory was originally kiln dried or not, but I would guess that it was just air dried. When boards are left to dry naturally it's important to allow equal airflow on both sides of the board. Otherwise, one side can dry faster than the other and that's when you get the bow. The greener (wetter) the wood, the more likely this is to happen with unequal drying. The drier side will be the upper part of the bow or cupping and the wetter side will be the underneath part of the bow. There is an old trick to fix this issue. It works best on a dry, sunny day in the morning. Take the bowed board outside and place the dry (upper side of the bow) side down in wet grass, or on some damp towels. Leave the wetter (underneath part of the bow) facing upward toward the sun. This will force moisture into the dry side and it will dry out the wet side with the sun. The time needed will vary depending on humidity, temperature, etc. You will be amazed to see that the bowed board will often straighten itself out in as little as 30 minutes or sometimes a few hours. Another option is to use a truck bed or a low slope roof with damp towels underneath. I would try this method before a steam box and I think you might be rewarded.
@PrimeEvol9 жыл бұрын
Do you recommend using this process for cedar? I'm building custom cedar benches using 1x2 and 1x3 planks
@enduringcharm9 жыл бұрын
PrimeEvol I have not tried cedar for steam bending, but there is some precedence for it in boatbuilding I think. Much will depend on how severe a radius you are looking to create. As a general rule thinner boards and slight bends will have better success than thicker wood in a tight radius. I would expect that cedar is more difficult to bend versus an open pored wood like oak. You may also find that red and white cedar take to bending differently. Steam bending is always a bit experimental, so I would highly suggest some practice on scraps before finalizing your design. If you have not built a steam box yet you may be able to experiment on some small cedar scraps using a pot of boiling water and a suspended colander on your kitchen stove before you commit to the larger project.
@tommccarrick188 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. I made something similar, using mostly plywood. Would you recommend that I varnish it?
@enduringcharm8 жыл бұрын
Naw, I wouldn't. It's just a utility box and it is going to leak water when the steam condenses. Any kind of finish isn't going to last and wouldn't buy you anything anyway. I'd be curious how your plywood holds up to the steam. I'm assuming you used an exterior grade plywood, but even that was never designed for steam. Have you used your box yet? Does it look like it will go for the long haul?
@tommccarrick188 жыл бұрын
I used it for the first time today. It took a long time for the boards to get saturated, and even then they did not bend easily. I think my hose may be a bit too long. And I'm not sure about the plywood. I might get some 1X6 pine or deal, and make it from that.
@raplatttsaprojects8 жыл бұрын
Excellent...just the ticket! Do you have videos of it in action??
@enduringcharm8 жыл бұрын
+Seminole Tech Tube You know, it actually isn't very exciting to watch in action! Basically you've got an hour or much more of a box leaking steam out of a hole followed by 30 seconds of a frantic carpenter running a piece of hot wood from the box to a form. Here's some pictures from a past project, though: www.enduringcharm.com/gallery/clients/archdoor.html
@raplatttsaprojects8 жыл бұрын
+enduringcharm I teach engineering and manufacturing at a high school. Wood, due to cost is the best material to work with CNC, and hand/power tools. Now with a steam bender, we can model in SolidWorks better products with bending. My engineering 3 students will model and make your steam bender. Thanks for what you are doing.
@enduringcharm8 жыл бұрын
+Seminole Tech Tube That's awesome--there is so little availability for hands-on work in K-12 schools anymore that generations of students are missing opportunities to develop a part of their brains and thought processes. It's really a tragedy. If you haven't already, pick up a copy of Matthew Crawford's book Shop Class As Soulcraft. You'll love it.
@raplatttsaprojects8 жыл бұрын
+enduringcharm will get it. Thanks
@ellissmithjr65993 жыл бұрын
Will it work with treated wood?
@enduringcharm3 жыл бұрын
You mean steam bending pressure treated wood? Most pressure treated wood is southern yellow pine, which is then treated with a copper based solution. Pine can be steam bent, but it's not ideal. You need to have high moisture content in the pine (like, freshly cut wood) and you need to use metal bands to form and clamp the pine or else you risk breakage. It's just not high on the list of desirable woods for bending. What is more, the pine has been treated with copper. Heating that with steam is likely to release some of that treatment, some of which will leak down with the condensation, some of which may escape with the steam and potentially be toxic to you. After all that, the treatment will be compromised so your treated wood will no longer be as rot resistant as it was.
@ellissmithjr65993 жыл бұрын
@@enduringcharm Thank You 👍
@bodawg12345678910 жыл бұрын
Is there a rule of thumb or formula for how long the piece must sit in the form?
@enduringcharm9 жыл бұрын
RKane I think the rule of thumb is an hour per inch of wood, but you really need to experiment. The relative "greenness" of the wood makes a huge difference, as does the species of wood. An open-pored oak board which has not been kiln dried and still has a lot of moisture in it will take far less time in the steam box than a closed pored wood that was kiln dried. In fact, kiln dried wood should be avoided if possible. The easiest wood to bend is fresh cut open-pored stock which will come out of the steam box almost like rubber!
@bodawg1234567899 жыл бұрын
makes sense thanks for the reply!
@user-ku7dg4wq8g2 жыл бұрын
👍✊
@dakaraius5 жыл бұрын
But how do you stop the steam box from bending? :-D
@enduringcharm5 жыл бұрын
Kidding aside, the steam box does take a beating and it can leak steam if warping pulls apart the seams. It doesn't matter as long as enough steam remains trapped to do the work.
@VideoGrabBag7 жыл бұрын
This video would be complete with at least a couple more minutes to show how pliable the wood is after its cooked.
@enduringcharm7 жыл бұрын
There are a lot of variables in how the wood behaves after steaming. Aside from the length of time in the steam box and the type of wood used, the age and the moisture content of the wood have a big effect. You can take three otherwise identical pieces of read oak, for example, with one being kiln dried, one being air dried over time, and one being relatively "green" or freshly cut. The green piece will far outperform the other two as far as pliability and will also take less time to do it. The kiln dried piece will be the most difficult to steam and may not work well at all.