Bending Wood

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Bending Wood

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18 July 2019 at 11:59 #83021
Paul Beeney
Participant
@paulbeeney58354
Hi All

Brand new to this and mean new. Have bought may first boat hit my first of many problems, its a Billings kit as this was for beginners need to bend a peace of wood strip to fit on the foreship I take it this is the front. Wood strip is 1.8 x 4 mm how do you bend wood and keep it bent to the shape you want without it snapping? First of many questions im sure hope someone can help

Many thanks Paul
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18 July 2019 at 11:59 #2844
Paul Beeney
Participant
@paulbeeney58354
18 July 2019 at 12:52 #83022
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Hi Paul, Welcome to the forum.

Yes, this is something that most of us need to do at one time or another. The usual method is steaming. Most electric kettles switch off automatically so don't produce much steam but an alternative is to bring a wide saucepan to the boil with not too much water in it and then (using rubber or gardening gloves) let the steam envelope the end of the wood you wish to bend (you can dip it in the water too if you want). This will make it quite pliable in a few minutes and you can then gently bend it. You might need two or three goes if the curve is particularly sharp.

If you are lucky enough to have a hand held steam cleaner in the house then fit the nozzle attachment and apply steam to the wood while gently bending over some sort of former such as the side of a round washing up bowl.

You don't need to steam to the exact shape of the hull as the wood will still be pliable when dry after steaming but much of the required bend will already be there.

Colin
18 July 2019 at 13:07 #83023
Dave Milbourn
Participant
@davemilbourn48782
If you leave the lid off an electric kettle it will happily boil away for hours! That's the method I use.

DM
18 July 2019 at 14:54 #83025
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
After bitter experience of steaming out the kitchen complete with sagging wallpaper and streaming windows I opted to improvise a little piece of kit that could be used outdoors.

The kit is a wallpaper steamer connected to a length of plastic drain pipe, the steamer provides a constant and controlled source of steam whilst the length of pipe is a great steam chest.

Paul
18 July 2019 at 22:04 #83035
Malcolm Frary
Participant
@malcolmfrary95515
Some folk speak well of ammonia in an enclosed vessel to render the wood plastic, but the 12 inch to the foot boat builders use steam and brute force, much like Pauls intentional steamer mod, but bigger.
19 July 2019 at 09:47 #83040
ashley needham
Participant
@ashleyneedham69188
I had to steam some planks for the London recently and used a saucepan effectively.

However my vote goes to a wallpaper stripper, which is purpose built to provide hours of steam (best outside as PT says)…depends on how much steaming you will be doing?

Ashley
19 July 2019 at 10:01 #83044
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Ammonia or ammonia based cleaning products work by softening and breaking down the wood fibres to make it more pliable but a lot of its strength is lost in the process and it may become spongey. Also it can affect the colour which would be a problem if you are intending to varnish over it.

Most modelling timbers are quite thin and not much steam is usually needed so steaming is normally the best choice.

Paul's 'steam chest' is an excellent idea for stripwood. I have found in the last few days that the hand held steam cleaner is very good on sheet material such as hull skins for a cabin cruiser around the bow area.

Colin
19 July 2019 at 11:02 #83045
Chris E
Participant
@chrise
Agree about steam being the best method. Both cleaners & wallpaper strippers can be connected to a length of pipe to steam wood. Cleaners are generally around half the power of a stripper (which has about the same as a low wattage kettle) so take it from there. More power = more steam = ability to bend more wood or quicker.

For best & quickest results, particularly with longer bits of wood, wrap the steaming tube in an insulator – duvet, blanket, foam or pretty well anything else similar.

Edited By Chris E 1 on 19/07/2019 11:03:38
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