| How many times have you gone and purchased a | | | | for the steam to pass through. A separate box is |
| piece of wood and got it home and cursed it | | | | needed for the wood that is going to be treated. For |
| because it has a bend it in. Then as you move along | | | | your heat source it doesn't have to be anything |
| into your woodworking hobby, you discover that | | | | elaborate it cane even be a hot plate. Nothing with |
| there are times that; you wish you could bend the | | | | open flames though. A teakettle makes a great |
| wood. Well actually, you can and there are a few | | | | water container but you have to be able to modify it |
| methods not all that difficult to do to help you | | | | so you can add a hose to it. |
| achieve this. There are methods such steam bending | | | | For the steam box, you can use any type of pipe or |
| or microwave steaming. Then there are Kerf cut | | | | wooden box that you construct yourself. The steam |
| bending or laminated wood bending, so you can see | | | | has to be able to escape though or you will end up |
| there are a few options ahead of you. | | | | with an explosion. |
| Don't even think about attempting to bend wood | | | | You must be very careful not to get burnt when |
| without a form. When you have removed the | | | | doing this the steam is extremely hot and heats up |
| treated wood from the steam box you need to get | | | | everything. Make sure you wear gloves. Again making |
| it clamped into place as quickly as possible and that's | | | | sure that you, steam has a way of escaping you can |
| where the form comes into play. You can easily | | | | start off with about an hour of this treatment; you |
| make your own forms with several layers of MDF. | | | | may need more again depending on the variation of |
| Now let's look at micro waving wood. Naturally you | | | | the wood. |
| aren't going to get a big piece of wood into your | | | | Laminated wood is much easier to bend because of |
| microwave so this is just for small pieces. Wrap the | | | | its thickness. You will need the form but not the |
| piecedin a wet paper towel and nuke it for only a | | | | other equipment. Make sure the piece you are |
| few seconds. It works just like a steam box. You will | | | | bending is longer than you need and it must be thin. |
| have to experiment with the time because of the | | | | Then you just glue the layers together as you stack |
| variations in the wood. | | | | them in the form and clamp them. Once dry trim the |
| The most tried and true method for wood bending is | | | | edges. |
| the steam method. You will need to make a steam | | | | Kerf cut bending is just a simple procedure of cutting |
| box so you need a heat source, a container to hold | | | | slots across the wood. These are done on the inside |
| the water, which is going to be heated, and a hose | | | | of the bend. |