Steam bending question

[whatknot]

Hi all

I posted a while back about steam bending the top rails on two childs chairs I have, which were in a damp garage and sprung open (tried to straighten themselves)

I am just getting round to trying this, I will have a form ready and a source of steam etc , I gather about an hour steaming should be okay

My question is, how long after steaming and clamping to the form do I leave it before removing clamps?

Does it need hours? days ?

Any advice appreciated

 

[MikeG.]

The following day will be fine. You could take a risk at sooner, but there doesn't seem much point.

 

[whatknot]

The following day will be fine. You could take a risk at sooner, but there doesn't seem much point.

Thanks for the speedy reply, I was thinking a day would be about right

I will give it a try and see what happens, always interesting trying something new

 

[Sheffield Tony]

A day seems the usual advice. As it is the heat that softens the wood, not the water, I assume in needs to cool, but not necessarily dry.

 

[whatknot]

A day seems the usual advice. As it is the heat that softens the wood, not the water, I assume in needs to cool, but not necessarily dry.

Thanks for yours, that is what I had assumed but wasn't sure on

At the worst I can always do it again, its been in my to do list for some years so a little longer won't hurt but now having a grandson who could do with a chair, it has turned my attention to it ;-)

 

[El Barto]

A rule of thumb I follow when steam bending arms is to bind them tightly with string once they're bent and then remove from their forms. I then leave them for a day or two to acclimatise and then stick them in a heated cupboard or near a source of heat overnight. By the next day the string has slackened slightly - this tells me the arm has "set" and won't spring back.

 

[whatknot]

A rule of thumb I follow when steam bending arms is to bind them tightly with string once they're bent and then remove from their forms. I then leave them for a day or two to acclimatise and then stick them in a heated cupboard or near a source of heat overnight. By the next day the string has slackened slightly - this tells me the arm has "set" and won't spring back.

A good point well made

Thank you for that