On Tue, 26 May 2020 11:32:33 -0700 (PDT), Sonny
wrote:

Anyone ever bend slats by only wetting the wood? If so, how well did it work? Opinions, as to wetting only, also welcome.

I have numerous ash slats to laminate for making rockers. Prefer not to fire up the wood stove for steam bending. Ash is air dried for ~10 years. Did one slat (defected, had a knot in it) by just soaking over night and it bent well, but had ~50% spring back when released from the clamps. Just a test, so thought to soak, for several days, the project slats and leave them clamped for at least 2, maybe 3-4 days. Slats are about 5/16" thick ~2" wide.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/438361...posted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/438361...posted-public/

Sonny

Having a problem understanding the sequence of work.

You cut them into strips and glued them together and then bent them?
If yes, were your careful to glue them together in the same order as
they were prior to being cut?

On the Public TV show Craftsman Legacy they had an episode titled The
Table Maker. The craftsman was making table legs bent in 3 dimensions
using cherry lumber and when he ripped the stock apart he said that
when glued back together it was important to keep the pieces in order.