What would be the best way to bend a piece of 3/4" X 2 1/2" oak. This
would be for the seat frame of a chair. The two straight rails would be
about 18" apart with the curve across the back. Thanks, Jim
--

James wrote:


What would be the best way to bend a piece of 3/4" X 2 1/2" oak.
This would be for the seat frame of a chair. The two straight rails
would be about 18" apart with the curve across the back. Thanks, Jim

Steam it or split it into 1/4 inch strips bend and glue together

On 12/26/2011 8:55 AM, James wrote:

What would be the best way to bend a piece of 3/4" X 2 1/2" oak. This
would be for the seat frame of a chair. The two straight rails would be
about 18" apart with the curve across the back. Thanks, Jim

Either "steam bend", or do a "bent lamination",

Neither one is a straight forward process, and both will necessitate
some jig building and advance preparation.

Do a google search on both terms and you should find ample information
to do either one.

The other option is to cut the curved portion out of a thicker piece of
wood, like this chair back rail:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1113554...18 9930046946

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On Dec 26, 9:55*am, "James" wrote:
What would be the best way to bend a piece of 3/4" X 2 1/2" oak. This
would be for the seat frame of a chair. The two straight rails would be
about 18" apart with the curve across the back. Thanks, Jim
--

For one piece with a gentle curve, laminate. Not sure a
steamer is worth the trouble.

Swingman wrote:
On 12/26/2011 8:55 AM, James wrote:

What would be the best way to bend a piece of 3/4" X 2 1/2" oak. This
would be for the seat frame of a chair. The two straight rails would be
about 18" apart with the curve across the back. Thanks, Jim

Either "steam bend", or do a "bent lamination",

Neither one is a straight forward process, and both will necessitate
some jig building and advance preparation.

Roy Underhill's Woodwright Shop built a chair not so long ago in which
steam-bending was done. As was suggested above, so far as the bending is
concerned, most of the work is in the jig. Several years worth of his
shows are online.


Do a google search on both terms and you should find ample information
to do either one.

The other option is to cut the curved portion out of a thicker piece of
wood, like this chair back rail:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1113554...18 9930046946

I'm thinking he wants the back board of the seat frame, itself, to be
bent, not the backrest/leg support to be bent. Caned seats often have
curved seat frames and the curves are usually simply cut from straight
boards. Even Sam Maloof cut/carved/molded curves onto some of his
wood pieces, rather than bending boards to conform. For that small of
board, bending is an overkill operation for that application,
especially if other connecting boards are not bent/curved.

Cut a straight board to the curve you want, otherwise you have the 2
options mentioned above: Steam bending or laminate bending. Also, to
my knowledge, air dried wood is most appropriate for bending, than
kiln dried wood.

Sonny

On Dec 26, 5:15*pm, Sonny wrote:
I'm thinking he wants the back board of the seat frame, itself, to be
bent, not the backrest/leg support to be bent. *Caned seats often have
curved seat frames and the curves are usually simply cut from straight
boards. *Even Sam Maloof cut/carved/molded curves onto some of his
wood pieces, rather than bending boards to conform. *For that small of
board, bending is an overkill operation for that application,
especially if other connecting boards are not bent/curved.

Cut a straight board to the curve you want, otherwise you have the 2
options mentioned above: *Steam bending or laminate bending. *Also, to
my knowledge, air dried wood is most appropriate for bending, than
kiln dried wood.

Sonny

Green wood is even easier to bend.

The other option is to cut the curved portion out of a thicker piece of
wood, like this chair back rail:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1113554...dShopArtsCraft...

--www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Regarding cut from thicker piece, I learned a little trick from Sam
Maloof (GRHS). Kind of hard to describe in words but I will try.

Assume you had a 3/4" thick board standing on edge and you cut a curve
out of one face of it to make it a seat back. At the center that piece
has only maybe 1/8" thickness left. However, if you take the cutout
piece and move it to the back and laminate it onto the front piece you
now have a curved piece with an equal 3/4 thickness all along.

Not sure it makes sense in words but the man was a gentle and talented
genius. Just one of his many tricks.

"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in message
...


The other option is to cut the curved portion out of a thicker piece of
wood, like this chair back rail:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1113554...dShopArtsCraft...

--www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Regarding cut from thicker piece, I learned a little trick from Sam
Maloof (GRHS). Kind of hard to describe in words but I will try.

Assume you had a 3/4" thick board standing on edge and you cut a curve
out of one face of it to make it a seat back. At the center that piece
has only maybe 1/8" thickness left. However, if you take the cutout
piece and move it to the back and laminate it onto the front piece you
now have a curved piece with an equal 3/4 thickness all along.

Not sure it makes sense in words but the man was a gentle and talented
genius. Just one of his many tricks.

SonomaProducts.com,
Very nice!
Kerry

On Dec 26, 5:30*pm, "Kerry Montgomery" wrote:
"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in message

...







The other option is to cut the curved portion out of a thicker piece of
wood, like this chair back rail:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1113554...dShopArtsCraft....

--www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Regarding cut from thicker piece, I learned a little trick from Sam
Maloof (GRHS). Kind of hard to describe in words but I will try.

Assume you had a 3/4" thick board standing on edge and you cut a curve
out of one face of it to make it a seat back. At the center that piece
has only maybe 1/8" thickness left. However, if you take the cutout
piece and move it to the back and laminate it onto the front piece you
now have a curved piece with an equal 3/4 thickness all along.

Not sure it makes sense in words but the man was a gentle and talented
genius. Just one of his many tricks.

SonomaProducts.com,
Very nice!
Kerry- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thx

Swingman writes:

On 12/26/2011 8:55 AM, James wrote:

What would be the best way to bend a piece of 3/4" X 2 1/2" oak. This
would be for the seat frame of a chair. The two straight rails would be
about 18" apart with the curve across the back. Thanks, Jim

Either "steam bend", or do a "bent lamination",

Neither one is a straight forward process, and both will necessitate
some jig building and advance preparation.

Do a google search on both terms and you should find ample information
to do either one.

The other option is to cut the curved portion out of a thicker piece
of wood, like this chair back rail:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1113554...18 9930046946

Another option is to kerf the back - this can allow very tight curves if
you space the kerfs close and cut within about 1/8" of the
front. However, you only want to do this if the back kerf side doesn't
show and if you don't need the full structural strength of 3/4" stock

Just to be clear, did you SPLIT a 3/4" oak billet? If this is a sawn board,
in dried oak, steam-bending is unlikely to be satisfactory.

Green split wood is the ideal starting point for bending (you
can hand-plane it to flatten and adjust thickness). If
you must use sawn boards, there's gonna be a lot of selection
and maybe some failures.