Steam bending wood using a clothing iron

Рет қаралды 158,284

3 жыл бұрын

I'm showing how to steam bend two oak planks (10x80mm) for a wall opening in my sister in law's kitchen.
My workshop isn't quite big enough for a steam box so I decided to use this method instead. It works very well for this application where it's a rather small part of the plank which needs to get bent.
The required tools are things I believe most people have at home or could easily source.
I try to explain the process in the CC.
Hope this was helpful,
tell me what you think and thanks for watching!
Instagram:
/ davidnikkinen

Пікірлер: 110

@AA-4cx250b 11 ай бұрын

No annoying music. No annoying introduction. No annoying narration. Excellent. Skilled man. Brilliant thank you.

@ssoozee 2 жыл бұрын

No chitty-chatting, just doing it. Perfection. Thank you!

@johnsanchez8029 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome work dude. When it comes to building whatever, I too enjoy being minimal, simple yet EFFECTIVE. All these other peeps out there spending big bucks on fancy machines and never learning to do it the way our elders did in times past. Your build looks FANTASTIC my friend.

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks alot for the kind words, John! Indeed, it's important to understand that you will be able to accomplish much even without the fanciest tools. Cheers!

@gbwildlifeuk8269 2 жыл бұрын

John Sanchez "do it the way our elders did in times past". How far back are you going? Obviously not further back than before the electric iron, the quick action plastic handle clamps or the aluminium foil!

@ALCRAN2010 11 ай бұрын

@@gbwildlifeuk8269 a natural body of water, 5 different types of bar clamps, a basic hand saw, and a non-battery operated clothes iron, is as elder as one needs to go these days. Thank you very much.

@whydoihavetoify Жыл бұрын

This has just given me an idea to use my heat press, especially as i can control the temperature and the time and it will heat both sides at the same time, thank you

@jonathanvaldez2460 Жыл бұрын

Work like this deserves good payment. That's genuine skills and techniques.

@oneconsc3333 2 жыл бұрын

Putting another thin cloth on top of the aluminum might be a good idea so the iron slides easier but this is a fantastic method. Thank you 🙏🏼💜🇨🇦

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Might have to try that the next time i bend some wood! Cheers!

@jeremywalton7917 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, David, for posting this. For someone bending wood for the first time, it shows the essential elements needed to get the job done. I followed the steps for two strips of 2 mm width koa wood for the sides of a ukulele. 30 minutes was too long for that width. The koa was dried out and the linen touching it was barely damp. Before I cracked the wood I put that strip back in the water for another eight hours. I then ironed the 2nd strip for 15 minutes and placed the strip into the shape I needed while the wood was still wrapped in linen and foil. It worked. I had to BEND SLOWLY and let the wood ease into the bend. I let it cool and sit for eight hours before removing the linen and foil to let it air dry the rest of the way. So far, so good.

@victorstalick3719 3 жыл бұрын

A very good video using the tools that most people have.

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, it's the reasoning behind the video as well!

@johnsanchez8029 3 жыл бұрын

Right? It’s all about making due with what you’ve got on hand! I believe the word is ingenuity?

@RaikenXion Жыл бұрын

this seems like a nice, simple, cost-effective way of bending wood, i'm gonna try this method to make the sides for a guitar making project i'm working on with my brother. thanks 👍

@elguapo1507 8 ай бұрын

"Turned out alright"!!??? It turned out bloomin lovely!! 👍

@pcpjames 3 жыл бұрын

You’re a genius. Great job and thanks for sharing

@jeanjobin1351 Жыл бұрын

Simple and effective! Thank you for sharing!

@TheJokerZProductions 3 жыл бұрын

Love the result transition!

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks alot man!

@ccrrammstein 3 жыл бұрын

Wow!!! End result looks amazing!

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you liked it!

@lakeshatheman3106 Жыл бұрын

Your shots are really good

@tcoiler 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice and practical. Glad I found this one.

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Great, I'm happy that it helped you!

@francoisvillemaire773 2 жыл бұрын

perfect! inspiring thank you very much!

@aerosmith59983 11 ай бұрын

End product looked great. Nice job.

@davidnikkinen4521 11 ай бұрын

Thanks alot!

@nolanherbut484 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for sharing the process for bending wood its awesome

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, it's great that you enjoyed it!

@bourniplus 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@tejasgedam8169 3 жыл бұрын

This video proved very helpful, Thank you very much

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Thats great, I'm really glad to hear that!

@smartstudy9015 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome work

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks alot!

@hsseinhoussainy 3 жыл бұрын

That really help me, thank you

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Great! Glad that I could be of help :)

@ashsinghal3170 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent

@leventultanur3846 2 жыл бұрын

Hei David... This was a really lovely build :) First time I watched a tutorial by you and subscribed... I really liked your video. Your calm way of showing how you are doing things. Also like the idea of using CC to explain the process... I would have liked a bit more information personally. The wood type, thickness. How long it took you to heat it up with the iron. Maybe even how you did the joinery. But maybe thats another video :) Anyway i really like this and will be keeping an eye out for more. Keep up the great work :)

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for all the kind words and for the tips for future videos! There is always something to learn :)

@epiphgd4302 Жыл бұрын

How well do you think something like this would hold up outdoors? Hoping to make a curve for top of a trellis.

@iampaflorihalohalotv 2 жыл бұрын

This is genius

@earlyhours3179 Жыл бұрын

How hot should you have your iron for this? Newer irons don't get nearly as hot as the old ones, but I do have an old one that I can set to Wool. Is that what I should use? Thank you.

@cutweld4610 2 жыл бұрын

Good job. Cheers

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@einzelkindchen 9 сағат бұрын

How thick would you go with this technique ?

@lonestar3983 2 жыл бұрын

You Made it look so easy 😅

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks alot!

@ramadhany1077 2 жыл бұрын

Deserve more like

@Crafty.at.Heart24 2 жыл бұрын

I am working on a project trying to bend a thin strip of maple. Going to give this a try. Is there a time limit on how soon you should get it into the jig before it stiffens or hardens?

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Hey! I wouldn't worry to much about the time between the steaming and the jig, especially if it's a thin strip. That being said, I would still recommend you to prepare the jig so that the procedure is fluent. Best of luck!

@Crafty.at.Heart24 2 жыл бұрын

@@davidnikkinen4521 Thank you so much David! I tried it and it worked, definitely good to prepare the jig and having the right clamps lol

@cosmogg9805 5 ай бұрын

Whay material did you rap the wood in under the aliminum foim

@DrifterSpirit9 2 жыл бұрын

Hi mate,just found your chanel and I love your work!How thick can you cut that wood so you can bend it properly?Thank you and keep up the good work!

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Hey! Thanks, that really means alot! I don’t have any exact meassurement, i’ve never bent anything thicker than 12-15mm. Give it a try and tell me how it went! Good luck :)

@killerkane1957 3 жыл бұрын

Very nice. Cooling time depends on ambient temperature and current in the stream. 😋

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it! Yeah, it was a pretty cold day that day so I could probably have left it for a shorter amount of time. Current in the stream, what does that mean? :)

@killerkane1957 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidnikkinen4521 means I am full of fecal matter! Stronger the current, faster the saturation. Excellent job!!

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

@@killerkane1957 That's what I thought you meant as well! ;)

@elijahsarian6601 3 жыл бұрын

Would you have to steam it/soak it in water less if you had thinner wood

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

I would assume that is correct! I'm not 100% sure on timings, I usually let them sit in the water over night, which works good for me.

@johorn2887 3 жыл бұрын

How long did you keep the wood in the second mold you made (when you chisrled out grooves?) thanks

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Jo! I usually keep them there until i need them, in this case it was a couple of days later. I'm not entirely sure how long they need to rest for. Will have to do some experimenting on that!

@johorn2887 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidnikkinen4521 i kept mine for 2 days and it was good. 3 have cracmed, due to too little time under the iron (20 mins each side is necessary). But thankz zo mu h for your idea.

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

@@johorn2887 I see, what kind of wood are you using? Best of luck with your bending!

@johorn2887 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidnikkinen4521 i think itz pi e

@johorn2887 3 жыл бұрын

Pine

@B.A.512 2 жыл бұрын

Beautiful and effective. Is this possible with only warm water soaking? I am laminating mahogany strips for the first time. They strips can't bend as far as I would like (just by a bit). So thinking of hot water soaking for a couple of hours. Before drying in the mold and lamination.

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm not sure, I have never tried it. I've seen some amazing lamination bends before but the strips they used were really thin, perhaps you can find someone who has some more experience with that kind of bend? Anyhow, best of luck on your project!

@B.A.512 2 жыл бұрын

@@davidnikkinen4521 thank you, I appreciate that. I will get back to you when done with succes.

@joshuaradl1912 2 жыл бұрын

Need to describe what you’re doing. How long was the wood soaking? What material goes on the piece before the foil?

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Joshua! I believe that those things are explained in the CC, anyhow, the wood was soaking over night and the material that i fold around the wood before the foil is just some piece of old bedsheets. Cheers!

@Lostprovince2319 Жыл бұрын

Now when heat pressing how long would you let it stay in the jig mold for and then how long until you were confident they were permanently curved

@davidnikkinen4521 Жыл бұрын

I believe i left mine for about an hour and a half, when the moisture and heat leaves the wood it will stabilize again. Leave them longer than you think if you are not confident about it!

@Shawn_DC Жыл бұрын

This is awesome! Do you have to use oak? Or will this work on most wood?

@davidnikkinen4521 Жыл бұрын

It sure is! No you don't have to use oak, there is plenty of bandable wood. I believe soft woods are not suitable for bending, please correct me if I'm wrong!

@jasminer8507 3 жыл бұрын

What setting should the iron be on?

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

I just try to keep it as hot as possible and then to distribute the heat evenly!

@darinmilovich153 3 жыл бұрын

how long was the oak in the river/water?

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

I left the oak in the water overnight. :)

@100musicplaylists3 Жыл бұрын

how thick a piece of wood can you use using this technique?

@davidnikkinen4521 Жыл бұрын

I've seen pretty thick pieces being bent this way. Might need some more heat, try it out!

@ethanrichard1248 3 жыл бұрын

What are you building these pieces for

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Ethan, it's for a wall opening in a kitchen. You can see the installed pieces at 8:33.

@epiphgd4302 Жыл бұрын

Nice bow tie. More refined.

@MyName-zd9pe Жыл бұрын

Amazing! 🤠✝️🇺🇸

@jasonludwig2488 2 жыл бұрын

How thick were those? 1/2"?

@davidnikkinen4521 2 жыл бұрын

They were more like 3/8" or 10cm.

@RealLifeZatoichi 3 жыл бұрын

Hey man how long did you soak your wood for? I'm trying to make a bow and arrow 🏹 and I have a stick pretty well shaped out I just wanna bend it where I want it to be before I even touch it with sandpaper again but I don't really know what I'm doing and my stick is round not flat, do you think a clothing iron might still work?

@davidnikkinen4521 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Jacob! Sounds like an exciting project, I soak the wood over night. I guess it might be harder to get the heat evenly distributed on a round piece. If the wood ain't to thick, maybe you should give it a try? :) Good luck, hope to hear how it turns out!

@phunkeehone 2 жыл бұрын

Jacob: Just an idea, but maybe you could flatten the stick roughly, before you soak it? To make it easier? Bending a piece of circular shaped wood doesn't sound like an easy task

@betterlatethannever4529 Жыл бұрын

Can this method be used to "fix" crooked wood planks

@davidnikkinen4521 Жыл бұрын

Not sure how you mean exactly, planing crooked or warped wood would be my way to fix it!

@betterlatethannever4529 Жыл бұрын

@@davidnikkinen4521 I have several 0.75in x 2.5in x 10ft boards, and I need to glue three of them together. A couple are crooked and I wanted to avoid cutting the planks any thinner since they're the perfect thickness. The project is a desk using wood joints, in a way that I can avoid using screws and nails.