Steam bending today

[Peter Sefton]

Some photos of guys this afternoon steam bending air dryed English Oak for Clisset ladder back chairs.
http://www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.c ... t_courses/
Tomorrow its the backs, hope this is of interest.
Is any body else doing any steam bending at the moment?
Cheers Peter

 

[tisdai]

Looking good, I will look forward to following this with intrest. Thanks for taking the time to post it here on the forum.

Cheers

Dave

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

Hi Peter,

No I'm not, but I am going to be in the next 6 months or so. I can't wait, I've got so any designs floating about in my head. I'm going down the downpipe and wallpaper steamer route I think, what have you got rigged up there?
I have been wondering how much the timber will try and return to it's original shape though... if anyone has any info on how much the timber will spring back then please feel free to enlighten me. Although I reckon the variables will be too many to accurately predict it, so me-thinks it may be trial and error for a while.

I'll probably be using Ash as my first victim, 1" thick.

Cheers _Dan

 

[tisdai]

If I am right Dan, don't take it as solid, But it depends on the type of wood used, the thickness and the ammount of time that it is steamed for. I done it some years back in exacly the same way with the down pipe and the screw lock blanking on the ends, with a tube from the steamer into the top or was it side of the pipe I can remember that far back lol..

CHeers

Dave

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

From memory I think It's about an hour per inch thickness (or is that 2? )... I did do some research ages ago, and Ash was the timber I was using as a case example. Reckon I'll have to go look it all up again.

Cheers Dave. _Dan

 

[Peter Sefton]

Hi Peter,

No I'm not, but I am going to be in the next 6 months or so. I can't wait, I've got so any designs floating about in my head. I'm going down the downpipe and wallpaper steamer route I think, what have you got rigged up there?
I have been wondering how much the timber will try and return to it's original shape though... if anyone has any info on how much the timber will spring back then please feel free to enlighten me. Although I reckon the variables will be too many to accurately predict it, so me-thinks it may be trial and error for a while.

I'll probably be using Ash as my first victim, 1" thick.

Cheers _Dan

Hi Dan
Sorry for the slow reply, do have a go it’s great fun. This is a ply box and paper steamer, I do have a 110 mm pipe steamer I use for small stuff they work well but must be supported as they bend when hot mine is in a kingspan box don’t over seal the pipe it must allow the steam to escape!
I am sorry to say all timbers bend at different rates green bends best but then moves when drying, kiln dried has no give left in it so we use air dried it’s a happy medium. Our back legs are over bent by about 25 mm to allow then to spring back and the back slats about 20 mm extra curved to allow spring back but it is not an exact science. Trial and error is needed to allow for all the variables. I do cover steam bending with my students but tend to use laminating for our more classical furniture work as this tray http://www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.c ... t_courses/

Cheers Peter

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

I have always fancied doing some steam bending.

 

[xy mosian]

Peter, I 've just looked at these images again. Would I be right in assuming that pieces being bent, photos 3 & 4, are part of the same back/chair. I ask as I see that the radius of bend will be different for each piece of the five.
xy

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

Sorry for the slow reply, do have a go it’s great fun.

-No worries, I know how hard it is to get back to folk, thanks for taking the time. And I will have a go @ some point, it's one of the things I wanted to do as soon as I got into woodworking, I've just not had a chance to spend time on it yet. Hadn't thought of using plywood, much appreciated for the tip.

Does it matter what you use timber-wise for the formers? It looks like hardwood against the clamp heads? Is it just Redwood for the curved side, or does it have a skin on it as well?

Cheers mate. _Dan

 

[Peter Sefton]

Yes the back slats do vary in curvature, the biggest radius is at the top being the wide rail across the shoulders. Here are some more photos, sorry I did not get chance to take any more later in the day/week when the chairs were finished but they all went home with a chair sealed and seated! It’s a very intensive week but great fun - thanks to Paul who runs this week for me.

 

[xy mosian]

Thank you Peter for so much freely given information. There is a lot to learn from those images.
xy

 

[Peter Sefton]

Sorry for the slow reply, do have a go it’s great fun.

-No worries, I know how hard it is to get back to folk, thanks for taking the time. And I will have a go @ some point, it's one of the things I wanted to do as soon as I got into woodworking, I've just not had a chance to spend time on it yet. Hadn't thought of using plywood, much appreciated for the tip.

Does it matter what you use timber-wise for the formers? It looks like hardwood against the clamp heads? Is it just Redwood for the curved side, or does it have a skin on it as well?

Cheers mate. _Dan

These are just Redwood with ply or other cramping blocks, these are very basic but we do make jigs and straps with metal backing to reduce the bends splitting on outer stretched face, it’s when tighter radii are required the failure rate increases and life gets a little trickier

Cheers Peter