August 22, 20187 yr My wife wants me to make some hair clips. I am trying to bend them. Right now I have it under pressure around a piece of pipe. I keep wetting it to keep it from breaking. Does anybody have any good tips for bending wood. This is what it looks like.
August 22, 20187 yr Rusty, I just saw an episode of Rough Cut with Fine Woodworking today on PBS for bending wood to make Shakers style oval boxes. Instead of actual steam, he used what appeared to be a stainless steel "pan" similar to a drywall mud box placed across two burners of a hot plate with a cover over the top. Not sure of the exact water temperature but was less than boiling...(video below recommends 180o...insert a cooking/meat thermometer to monitor) Since your wood lengths would be shorter you could get by with a smaller container. This Youtube video is nearly identical to the process used on that episode...I think this might work well for your project once you make a bending jig form.
August 22, 20187 yr STEAM BENDING WOOD.pdf KERF BENDING.pdf STEAM BENDING 1.pdf STEAM BENDING 2.pdf Edited August 22, 20187 yr by Stick486
August 22, 20187 yr 2 minutes ago, HandyDan said: Why bend it. Cut a curved piece on the band saw and then carve it. grain orientation control...
August 22, 20187 yr 7 minutes ago, Stick486 said: grain orientation control... Seems like the curve is slight and it wouldn't matter much.
August 22, 20187 yr end grain isn't gonna care for it.. do one better.. layer up sheets of veneer in shape form... veneer comes in 10, (w/o backer) 22, or 35 mill thicknesses.. 10 mil = 0.01" = 1/64''... w/ no two sheet's grain oriented one to the other... 1st sheet... grain horizontal.. L~R 2nd sheet... grain vertical up... 3rd sheet... grain diagonal to the right.. 4th sheet... grain horizontal.. R~L 5th sheet... grain diagonal to the left.. 6th sheet... grain vertical down.. 7th sheet... grain horizontal.. L~R for thinner.. leave out the vertical sheets if you use thick veneer.. for something different.. use different species layers for color.. just like plywood... Edited August 22, 20187 yr by Stick486
August 22, 20187 yr If you choose steam bending keep the bend slightly more than you need as springback will cause you to lose maybe 1/4". Also allow the piece to dry completely before releasing pressure of the form. Also might get a safer (less cracks) result if you use a double sided form , that is pressure on both side of the work.
August 22, 20187 yr Why not just scroll saw it then carve whats left. I think it would look good using BB and be strong..
August 22, 20187 yr The picture even looks like the wood was carved after closer inspection... Do you have a scroll saw???
August 22, 20187 yr Also since the total piece is bent the first thing I would do is run the wood both sides through a band saw for the general shape then put a pattern on and scroll saw the holes... you will have to draw out a quicky pattern for that... This way you can drill the holes for the arrow before ever starting cutting out the other holes.. I think you could make it this way while throwing together a steaming box...
August 22, 20187 yr Popular Post Ok in about 30 minutes I am this far along plus taking photos and loading them. Still go to grind them so it loks like they are going in and out of the pattern... I still have to make 12 more holes before I start carving ......And might have to glue a two small pieces on the bottoms for the pin or rod or whats it called to go through the bottom. Edited August 22, 20187 yr by Smallpatch
August 22, 20187 yr 1 hour ago, Gene Howe said: Now, that's pretty neat, Jesse. Is that, pine? Looks like maple to me. Just saying, Herb
August 22, 20187 yr Herb has at least on good eye ball! As small as these hair clips are, well at least my wifes are small, this just seems to be as quick as anything and it won't take days to carve it so it will look like the picture.
August 23, 20187 yr Author 10 hours ago, Smallpatch said: Why not just scroll saw it then carve whats left. I think it would look good using BB and be strong.. That is exactly what I did. I cut it out on my scroll saw. Then I shaped it with my Dremmel. All of that was easy. I need to bend it without breaking it.
August 23, 20187 yr My bending formula is simply a dollop of fabric softener in tap water. You could use a kitchen pot of water. Bring it to near boiling, cut the heat off, add the softener, stir a little, drop in the hair clip. Let it set for a couple of hours. Take it out and try it on your form. If it doesn't bend easily, repeat the process. If it bends easily, cover it with Saran wrap and secure it to the form until dry. Remember, wood has a memory so, your form may need to be a little bit more acute than what you want the clip to be.. Edited August 23, 20187 yr by Gene Howe
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