I am making a version of the classic RIES  model J-1002 tripod.  I'm using  used maple and steel. No pix yet.

The legs changed shape on me after I milled them.  Can you believe that? Wood moved   - - Oh the humanity~!!

Well I decided that milling more would be  a bridge too far.   Nope I'd rather straighten them.

"STEAM would do the trick" I thought. 

So I ordered  a Carolina 210,000 BTU burner and stand. 

Then I took an 15 ( or so) year old 20 pound Propane tank with a defective valve drained the gas out the spillway removed the valve filled it with  water drilled a hole  in the round crown at the top for 1" steel pipe welded some pipe to it  put a 3/4" fitting in the valve hole to make this into my water boiling vessel,

 I'll use 3/4" silicone tubing to carry the steam, it's flexible and doesn't sap heat away.   Could use an old rubber garden hose but not a vinyl one.

Next I took an ancient  - - better than 35 years old - salvage hunk of 3/4" ply that I pulled off my shop rood when I re built the building some 20 years ago.  It was  under a hot asphalt flat roof so it was kind of filthy on one side ( but no matter it's still plywood)  and made a 10"  (EDIT that's TEN Inches not one) square  box with ends and a door into which I can just fit 6 feet of whatever.

So now I'm waiting for my burner

Whew, thank heaven I chose to undertake this exercise instead of just milling a couple more hunks of maple.

Of course, now I gotta find a place for that box to reside when it's not steaming.  I did put wheels on it. 

I enjoy reads like this, thanks.

Yes Maple is a varying species and can often be both magical and full of tricks.
I recently used a Froe to very carefully shape some Silver Maple I had slowly dried...
The next day, the shaped pieces had changed by more than 1/4", granted Silver Maple is not any or our favorites.

Well, at least you didn't do like me- I thought surely PVC drain pipe would work for the steam chamber. It ended up looking like the suspension segments on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge! 

---

Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!

Cliff, who knows, perhaps now that you have that awesome steaming system, you can may now become interested in making rocking chairs the old Appalachian way! How fun!

---

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

You know, when I first started bending wood back in the 70's I was not taught Steam bending, and the old guys who taught me showed me some very good old tricks. I'm not sure our part of Appalachia had the Steam advantage, until more recently, when home clothes units were adapted.

I wis I had a full size lathe, I'd be trying to make bar stools LOL

---

Charles Nicholls
nicholls61@att.net
Proud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRA

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks

Lewis Kauffman said:

 It ended up looking like the suspension segments on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge! 

Architects g call that the signature of God.

No comment on the use of PVC for that.

You know, when I first started bending wood back in the 70's I was not taught Steam bending,

What did you use - - - hot sand?  

Have you seen the old hot sand methods? Awesome skills.

Using the correct wood you don't need anything besides natural glues and very clever forms, on both sides of the bend, every inch of the bend.

I've also used the old water soak methods, especially Japanese.

Made a beautiful toboggan using that method.

Another advantage is the natural wood preservation, which is amazing.

Cliff, a lame excuse is better than no excuse at all.

---

Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

My bending materials are 1. a 4' stick of 4" sewer pipe. 2. end caps. 3. water. 4. Downey. 5. Arizona sun in July.

Filled the pipe about half full, dumped in about 1/4 bottle of Downey, added the strips of wood and laid it on a concrete slab in full sun for about 5 hours. Wood came out almost as limber as spaghetti.

I successfully bent 3/8" thick by 2" maple, oak and walnut for banding 24" by 36" oval table tops. 

Cheap but, admittedly can only be done in the summer in a warm (HOT) climate. 

---

Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

 How do you get the stench of the perfumes out of the wood afterward?