In order to do certain types of home projects or even crafts that requires you to bend pieces of lumber into different shapes, you need to use the right kind of methods and also have the right tools to be able to bend the lumber accordingly to the shape you require. Once you manage to make the lumber pliable, it does not always remain in that manner. It is only pliable for only a short moment of time and you must act immediately after you have blend the lumber and carefully get the right kind of bend that you required for the project. Methods that can be used for bending lumber include Kerf-cut Bending, Laminated Wood Bending, along with Microwave Steaming especially for small pieces of wood. However, steam bending lumber is probably the most commonly used method of bending wood and has been used for generations.
To bend lumber, you need:
- Stainless-steel planter box
- Maple or cherry lumber
- Portable cooktop
- Metal tongs
- Work gloves
Bending Lumber
How to Bend Lumber
- First thing that you need to do is to set your stainless-steel planter box on a portable cook top burner. Your stainless-steel planter box should be large enough to fit the entire piece of lumber that you want to use.
- You also have to add enough amount of water into the planter box so that you would be able to completely soak the lumber into the planter box.
- Then, you need to wait for the water really boils before you can start soaking the lumber.
- You also have to add enough amount of water into the planter box so that you would be able to completely soak the lumber into the planter box.
Always ensure that you wear a pair of gloves so that your hands are well protected from the heat coming from the lumber.
- In order to let the lumber down into the water, you can use a pair of metal tongs and gently push your lumber down into the water.
- Then, you need to wait for at least 20 minutes.
- You have to continue pushing the lumber down into the boiling water.
- Then, you need to wait for at least 20 minutes.
- Then, you need to pull up an edge of the lumber with the tongs and grip it with your hand to pull the lumber out of the boiling water.
- After that, you would be able to bend the lumber into any shape that you want.
- You can use one hand on each side of your lumber before you slowly able to bend it.
- You can use one hand on each side of your lumber before you slowly able to bend it.
- Before you start to bend the lumber, you can also use a mold or form set up that enables you to bend the lumber a lot easier than by using your hand.
- Once you take out the steam bent wood, you need to immediately set it into the form and then clamped it accordingly as fast as you can right after removing it from the boiling water.
- You can also bend laminated wood and place it into the form and clamped before its glue started to set. However, bending laminated wood does not require you to steam it in boiling water.
Always remember that if you want to bend lumber
- Make sure that the pieces of lumber should be good and clean
- Lumber that has dried on the stump will not be able to bend.
- Once you take out the steam bent wood, you need to immediately set it into the form and then clamped it accordingly as fast as you can right after removing it from the boiling water.
