Adventures in steam bending

[rbdoby]

Been attempting to build a contemporary style Windsor office chair. Started bending the pieces for the back today. I spent most of Sunday afternoon figuring out how to make my form.

Glued and screwed 2 pieces of particle board together for the form. Made a pattern for the curve of the chair back from another piece of particle board. Used a 3/4" pattern bit in my router and cut 5/8" deep groves in the form using the pattern I had made spacing them about 2" apart.

I'm bending red oak sticks that are 8 sided, roughly 11/16" in diameter and 34" long. I cut them square out of a piece of air dried quarter sawn 2x6 and made them 8 sided using a 45° chamfer bit in my router table. Steamed the pieces for about 45 minutes and put them in the groves of the form.

After about an hour I took one piece out to see how it was doing. It was holding it's shape after it had cooled. I put it back in the form, think I'll leave it a couple of days to be on the safe side. MC of the oak was 12% before I started steaming it. I'll keep you posted on the rest of the chair.

Rick Doby

 

[Mike Davis]

Looks int - resting.

Are you making two chairs worth of parts in each form?

I like the shape so far. :icon_thum

 

[mikeacg]

Rick,

Looks good! What kind of a steam set-up are you using?

 

[rbdoby]

Looks int - resting.

Are you making two chairs worth of parts in each form?

I like the shape so far. :icon_thum

It will take 8 pieces to do the back. I've got another batch to bend giving me 2 extra pieces cause I know I'll mess up at least one:gar-Bi.

Rick Doby

 

[rbdoby]

Rick,

Looks good! What kind of a steam set-up are you using?

I'm using a Wagner wall paper steamer and a piece of 4" PVC pipe about 4' long. Works pretty good, steams for 1 hour and I don't have to mess around with a fire.

Rick Doby

 

[flatheadfisher]

Cool!

 

[CoolHandLuke]

that's a nice setup rick.. I like seeing the way people approach things, good idea

 

[02blues]

Steam bending is very cool (hot?)
opens up a new world
Here is the steam box I built out of cedar.

View image in gallery​

 

[hholgate]

Very interesting steaming solution. I'm going to try this.

Is the PVC pipe steam chamber pressurized or is the pipe vented?
Is it worth insulating the PVC pipe to minimize heat loss?

 

[Gotcha6]

Rick, we'll hafta nominate you for the K.I.S.S Award of the Month!:icon_thum:icon_thum
Oh, wait! We don't got one - yet.

 

[rbdoby]

Howard,

The pipe is vented, a small hole in the bottom of the pipe allows condensation to run out and pressure to escape. The first steamer I made didn't have the drain hole and I blew the end off it. I have a clean out plug in one end for for access. Only screw in the plug about a half turn. Any tighter the pipe swells from the heat and the plug gets stuck. ABS pipe would be a better choice.

I haven't had any problem with heat loss but I've only used it in warm weather.

Rick Doby

 

[rbdoby]

John,

Now that's a steam box! If I get into bending bigger pieces that's what I need to built.

Rick Doby

 

[rbdoby]

Dennis,

That's my motto, simple minds are simply amused!

Rick Doby

 

[mikeacg]

Rick,

That is inspired! I am glad I asked! I have one of those Wagners laying around here somewhere (it didin't really work too well on my wallpaper with all the layers of paint and paper from previous owners) so I will put it to work. My last laminating project I just soaked the strips and I wasn't totally happy with the results.