I don't think I phrased the SUBJECT very well so pardon me on that.

I'm trying to fabricate a broken piece on a chair. It appears to be
made from 5 or 6 layers of thin oak that are laminated together and
bent at a near 90 degree angle.

I've been pretty successful in the small amount of work I've done
(very small) with laminating thin strips of wood so this must not be a
difficult thing to do.
My problem is how to make the wood more flexible
Do you soak it in water? Boil it? Pray over it?
And while I've made a form to help it hold its shape I'm not sure of
the steps involved.

It would seem that I'd make the wood bendable, place my glue, layer
the pieces, then apply my clamps. Is this right?

It would make more sense then making the piece of laminate and then
trying to bend it and that is why I'm asking.
When things seem perfectly reasonable, and I never had a doubt, I
usually bunk it up.

Any help on this subject, thoughts, opinions or the like are welcomed.
Off topic replies (Laminate sucks! or Dude! Your killing trees when
you cut wood) or flames will be fwd'ed to my M-I-L (note that is M-I-L
not MILF ).

Thanks
Bmiller

On Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:07:19 -0400, Bewet Miller
wrote:

I don't think I phrased the SUBJECT very well so pardon me on that.

I'm trying to fabricate a broken piece on a chair. It appears to be
made from 5 or 6 layers of thin oak that are laminated together and
bent at a near 90 degree angle.

I've been pretty successful in the small amount of work I've done
(very small) with laminating thin strips of wood so this must not be a
difficult thing to do.
My problem is how to make the wood more flexible
Do you soak it in water? Boil it? Pray over it?
And while I've made a form to help it hold its shape I'm not sure of
the steps involved.

It would seem that I'd make the wood bendable, place my glue, layer
the pieces, then apply my clamps. Is this right?

It would make more sense then making the piece of laminate and then
trying to bend it and that is why I'm asking.
When things seem perfectly reasonable, and I never had a doubt, I
usually bunk it up.

Any help on this subject, thoughts, opinions or the like are welcomed.
Off topic replies (Laminate sucks! or Dude! Your killing trees when
you cut wood) or flames will be fwd'ed to my M-I-L (note that is M-I-L
not MILF ).

Thanks
Bmiller
I remember seeing steam cabinets at boat building yards for steaming
the planks so they could be bent for the hull etc.

Bewet Miller wrote:
I don't think I phrased the SUBJECT very well so pardon me on that.

I'm trying to fabricate a broken piece on a chair. It appears to be
made from 5 or 6 layers of thin oak that are laminated together and
bent at a near 90 degree angle.

I've been pretty successful in the small amount of work I've done
(very small) with laminating thin strips of wood so this must not be a
difficult thing to do.
My problem is how to make the wood more flexible
Do you soak it in water? Boil it? Pray over it?
And while I've made a form to help it hold its shape I'm not sure of
the steps involved.

It would seem that I'd make the wood bendable, place my glue, layer
the pieces, then apply my clamps. Is this right?

More or less.

1. Wood is inherently bendable. You may or may not have to make it more so
depending mostly on how thin the pieces are and how tight the radius of the
curve. If it will bend to the desired radius when dry, just glue and clamp.

Whether bent dry or softened, expect some "spring back" after the glue
dries.

2. You can increase the bendability (in increasing order of effectiveness)
by wetting, soaking, steaming (in a steamer).

How long to soak or steam depends again on how thin the pieces are and how
tight the radius of the curve. I know a fellow with a veneer
operation...they steam their flitches for 24 hours before slicing.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Bewet Miller wrote in
:

I don't think I phrased the SUBJECT very well so pardon me on that.

I'm trying to fabricate a broken piece on a chair. It appears to be
made from 5 or 6 layers of thin oak that are laminated together and
bent at a near 90 degree angle.

I've been pretty successful in the small amount of work I've done
(very small) with laminating thin strips of wood so this must not be a
difficult thing to do.
My problem is how to make the wood more flexible
Do you soak it in water? Boil it? Pray over it?
And while I've made a form to help it hold its shape I'm not sure of
the steps involved.

It would seem that I'd make the wood bendable, place my glue, layer
the pieces, then apply my clamps. Is this right?

It would make more sense then making the piece of laminate and then
trying to bend it and that is why I'm asking.
When things seem perfectly reasonable, and I never had a doubt, I
usually bunk it up.

Any help on this subject, thoughts, opinions or the like are welcomed.
Off topic replies (Laminate sucks! or Dude! Your killing trees when
you cut wood) or flames will be fwd'ed to my M-I-L (note that is M-I-L
not MILF ).

Thanks
Bmiller

homemade steamer;a big PVC pipe with end caps,a hole cut for steam to
enter(and a hole at the other end for it to escape),put over a hot plate
boiling a pan of water.
Then use Gorilla glue...it activates by moisture.

Google may turn up better plans for wood steamers.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , Bewet Miller wrote:
I don't think I phrased the SUBJECT very well so pardon me on that.

I'm trying to fabricate a broken piece on a chair. It appears to be
made from 5 or 6 layers of thin oak that are laminated together and
bent at a near 90 degree angle.

What's the radius of curvature? That's important to know.
I've been pretty successful in the small amount of work I've done
(very small) with laminating thin strips of wood so this must not be a
difficult thing to do.
My problem is how to make the wood more flexible
Do you soak it in water? Boil it? Pray over it?

Steam it, usually. Google "steambending wood".

And while I've made a form to help it hold its shape I'm not sure of
the steps involved.

It would seem that I'd make the wood bendable, place my glue, layer
the pieces, then apply my clamps. Is this right?

That's the general idea. You'll get MUCH better advice if you post in
rec.woodworking, though.

Rec.woodworking is good advice. I believe hickory was most commonly
used to bend in the old days. For thicker pieces of wood, a series of
cuts on inside of the curve and not all the way through (of course) is
used to bend wood. I did a search on "woodworking bending hickory" and
got loads of hits - lots of info out there.

http://www.allwoodwork.com/article/w...nding_wood.htm

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...ding_Wood.html

On Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:07:19 -0400, Bewet Miller
wrote:

I don't think I phrased the SUBJECT very well so pardon me on that.

I'm trying to fabricate a broken piece on a chair. It appears to be
made from 5 or 6 layers of thin oak that are laminated together and
bent at a near 90 degree angle.

I've been pretty successful in the small amount of work I've done
(very small) with laminating thin strips of wood so this must not be a
difficult thing to do.
My problem is how to make the wood more flexible
Do you soak it in water? Boil it? Pray over it?
And while I've made a form to help it hold its shape I'm not sure of
the steps involved.

It would seem that I'd make the wood bendable, place my glue, layer
the pieces, then apply my clamps. Is this right?

It would make more sense then making the piece of laminate and then
trying to bend it and that is why I'm asking.
When things seem perfectly reasonable, and I never had a doubt, I
usually bunk it up.

Any help on this subject, thoughts, opinions or the like are welcomed.
Off topic replies (Laminate sucks! or Dude! Your killing trees when
you cut wood) or flames will be fwd'ed to my M-I-L (note that is M-I-L
not MILF ).

Thanks
Bmiller


Some kinds of wood bend easier than others and green wood bends the
easiest. You will need to make a form. I use MDF with holes that I
can use for clamping the steamed wood. Steam strips inside a PVC pipe
standing in boiling water. Loosely plug the top with a rag. Steam
for about an hour, maybe less for 1/8" thick strips. Within 20
seconds move the steamed strips to the form and clamp. When strips
dry, remove them then glue them up and clamp in the form. Figure
about 6% springback so make a 84.5-degree form. Laminates made this
way are very strong which is why quality stairway banisters are made
this way. BBQ tongs and leather gloves are recommended. Steamed
wood is somewhat rubbery, but for just a few seconds.

In article , Bewet Miller wrote:
I don't think I phrased the SUBJECT very well so pardon me on that.

I'm trying to fabricate a broken piece on a chair. It appears to be
made from 5 or 6 layers of thin oak that are laminated together and
bent at a near 90 degree angle.

What's the radius of curvature? That's important to know.

I've been pretty successful in the small amount of work I've done
(very small) with laminating thin strips of wood so this must not be a
difficult thing to do.
My problem is how to make the wood more flexible
Do you soak it in water? Boil it? Pray over it?

Steam it, usually. Google "steambending wood".

And while I've made a form to help it hold its shape I'm not sure of
the steps involved.

It would seem that I'd make the wood bendable, place my glue, layer
the pieces, then apply my clamps. Is this right?

That's the general idea. You'll get MUCH better advice if you post in
rec.woodworking, though.