Moulding balsa wood

[chris ottawayParticipant @chrisottaway86119]

Hi all

When I need to bend balsa wood to the shape of a curve on a boat hull. Instead of steaming the wood, would leaving the balsa wood in water for 24 have the same effect?

Thanks

Chris

[chris ottawayParticipant @chrisottaway86119]

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

Hi Chris, my thoughts are, soaking balsa for 24 hours would cause the wood to adsorb a lot of water and swell up, as it dries i think it would split, steaming heats the fibers allowing them to stretch, as they cool down they retain the shape they are formed round. Hope this helps. Mark

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Chris

I guess it depends on the size & strength of the balsa and the radius your trying to achieve ? but heavy grade will bend better than lightweight which snaps just when you least expect it too without warning !

The aeromodelling approach would be to razor saw cuts in the back of the strip, or laminate thinner strips round the curve to make the required thickness, I've used 1/8"X1/8" X 4nr to make 1/4" square chine rails, hope this helps.

Regards Ray

[chris ottawayParticipant @chrisottaway86119]

Ok thanks for your replies if I was to steam it what would I us to steam it.

[Charles OatesParticipant @charlesoates31738]

Hi Chris, there might be some disbelieving stares at your last post! Are you perhaps over thinking this.

Anyway, pan, water, heat, hold wood in steam, remove, bend gently. Repeat as needed. Practice with some scrap first.

A kettle is fine too.

Chas

[chris ottawayParticipant @chrisottaway86119]

Hi yes I think I may be over thinking this, just put me down lol .

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Wallpaper stripper…bit of pipe…steam in one end and partially blocked the other with wood inside. Ashley

[TelstarParticipant @telstar]

Hi I made a unit for a friend from an old vegetable steamer, Built for the job, electric low pressure steam generator, built in timer, enclosed space with lid. I modified it to accommodate longer lengths of wood (up to 0.75meter.) for his need. Tom

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Ashamed to say that I use an electric kettle with the lid off, but I generally only steam lengths of bass or small pieces of liteply. None takes more than a couple of minutes……and I can make a cuppa straight afterwards if I want one!

DM

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Dave, if you are only steaming one or two bits of strip than perfectly acceptable to use the kettle!

​I went to the classic boat museum on the IOW a few years ago and they were steaming lengths of planking, as they were restoring a Watson lifeboat. The steaming box must have been 20 foot long.

Ashley

[Byron Rees…(Ron)Participant @byronrees-ron]

Blank off the end of a bit of plastic waste pipe and pour in boiling water, have a weight to hold the wood down under the water with the pipe standing upright. This works well for balsa and it only takes about 20 minutes. Clamp it hot with no glue to where you want it to go till its dry, a couple of hours. Then stick it on.

For hardwoods I use the method recommended by Ashley using a Wickes wallpaper steam stripper. (About £20. If you don't have one already, or e.bay, mine cost a fiver)

Make a tight fitting bung to close off one end of a piece of waste pipe with a bit of tubing (K&S or similar) that fits the steam pipe from the heater unit sticking out.. Lay this on a flat surface, a Workmate is good, the other end can be partially closed, but open works as well. Mahogany strips 1metre long x6x3mm take 4 minutes to steam and you could carefully tie a knot in them (If you must!!)

These need careful handling using gloves and/or pliers and can be stuck on straight away if using Aliphatic resin glue.

Cheers………..RON.

[maurice webbParticipant @mauricewebb79980]

might be a little late with my two pence worth but I build rg65,and 1 metre yachts out of plank on frame balsa, I have found that it depends on the grade of balsa you use personally I use medium hardness, I purchased a heat gun from a craft shop the one the ladies use to shrink plastic sheet, cut your planks to the length you require and the hold your balsa plank on a flat surface by the end inch or so and apply gentle heat with the heat gun whilst imparting the curve and twist you want, with practice you will be amazed at the curves and twists you can get in one plank, just be careful to apply over the whole length and watch the heat.

a trick I use is to fix one end on your hull and apply heat to the plank and form to the contours as required

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