Wood bending question

[Josh Lohr]

Hi,

I am new to steam bending and am wondering if I should even spend any time trying to do this design in wood. Most of it seems pretty easy since the bends are parallel with the grain, but at the top there is a 1.5" radius perpendicular to the grain. The wood is 1/2" thick. I can use any type of wood necessary to achieve this. I would love to hear some input on feasibility from others who are into wood bending. thanks!

323304

[Lee Schierer]

I would think you would need to use hand split wood with extremely straight grain. The wood should be green, not air dried or kiln dried.The 1.5" radius is going to be the tough part. I would suggest ash as a good wood to try doing this with. I have some snow shoes made from ash that have that type of bends. You'll need a form to hold all the bends in place while the wood dries completely.