Steam bending slow down

[Rick Grogan]

I have a steamer similar to the one pictured, connected to a 6" diameter PVC pipe sealed at both ends.

This setup worked for me once or twice to bend some fairly large combs for windsor chairs, say 3" wide and an inch thick, and a couple of 3/4" X 3/4" sack back chair back hoops.

Currently I am having problems with steaming about 1" wide arcs for windsor chairs arms. The system suddenly just does not seem to get the wood steamed throughout enough to bend much, even after steaming for 2 hours. The wood will not wrap around the form. Do you think the steamer just wore out after a half dozen uses?

Thanks,
Rick
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[Prashun Patel]

I have the same unit. Works fine for me. I'll ask the obvious:

Are you steaming green wood?
You are refreshing the water often, right? Mine goes through its gallon in about an hour.
My box is designed with a vent hole at the opposite end of the inlet, and a weep hole on the bottom of the box below the inlet. It tilts up and away from the inlet. Does yours vent?

My box is 48" long and 6x6" square, so unless yours is much longer than that, I doubt the volume is too large for the unit. Mine is plywood and not sealed very well, so I imagine your PVC is a much better insulator.

[Bradley Gray]

I have the same steamer. When I first used it trying to bend 1" squares I had trouble and had to insulate the box. A thermometer is really helpful. I need to steam the 1" for 2 hours at 210F. I add hot water before the tank goes dry.

[Rod Sheridan]

Some steamers are electrode type, they pass current through the water.

If so, water with a lot of minerals will coat the electrodes reducing steam output.

Check your manual.

[Bill Dufour]

use tap water and line scale will build up on the heating element and reduce then heat transfer. Soak it for 30 minutes with vinegar make sure the element is immersed. Is there a thermostat of any kind?
Bill D

[Mike Monroe]

Might watch this video for answers. I really enjoy watching this guys videos, an honest to goodness old school skilled craftsman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pPKUgpn0CI

[John C Bush]

I would like to apprentice in his shop. I've watched his--Engel's Coach Shop--videos a lot and his steam box appears to be pressurized. I use leftover 6" PVC pipe with a yard sale cloths wand steamer as a steam source. Works well for fishing net laminations and have done up to 1" stock with limited success. Straight grain and wood type is important too. Any design ideas for a pressurized box/tube?

[Mike King]

Do you have a thermometer in the PVC pipe? What altitude are you at? Is it kiln dried or air dried stock?

First step is to check the temp of your steam box. Drill a small hole in the top and insert a thermometer -- we used a thermapen at Anderson Ranch.

There are lots of issues in steam bending. I bent 2" kiln dried stock for the legs on a chair I made at Anderson Ranch. Since the ranch is at 7900 feet, the temp we could get the steam box to was only 196. And the stock was very dry.

The solution was several fold. First, we soaked the stock for a couple of days prior to steaming to raise the moisture content of the stock. Second, I steamed it for 4 hours to get the stock sufficiently hot to bend. Success!

Mike

[Andrew Seemann]

If you do need to increase or replace your system, that is essentially a wallpaper steamer. Often it is a little cheaper to buy them labeled as wallpaper steamers, plus you usually can pick them up off the shelf at the big box stores.

[Tom Bender]

A thermometer at the bottom of you steam chamber will tell you what's really happening. Steam leaking out the top means almost nothing.

[Bill Dufour]

If you had a small hole with a cork and pulled the cork out would a laser temperature reader have any meaning full results? Or, would it just be seeing hot steam and not the wood.
Bil lD

[Bradley Gray]

A cheap analog thermometer will tell the tale. You may screw up the current piece, but eventually you will learn how long at steam temp (212F) gets it done.

A thicker piece needs a steel strap to keep the wood in compression no matter how long you steam it.

[Ira Matheny]

When steam bending, it is best to use 'Green' wood. That which has been kiln dried will resist steam bending. To get around the kiln dried wood and use it for steam bending, it will be necessary for the wood to return to a condition similar to green wood.
I found soaking QSWO in a 6" d pvc pipe filled with water and a quart of Downey Fabric softener did the trick. I held the wood submerged in this solution for a week. VIOLA! Successful steam bending of 6 pieces of 1.25" x 1.25" QSWO with a 'wall-paper' remover/steamer in 6" x 6" x 6'.0" steam chest/box. Took about 1:30 hour to steam to get the results.
BTW, it was another 'Creeker' that told me of this trick. He was correct.

[Bill Dufour]

I would worry if the fabric softener will affect the final finish?
BIL LD

[Bill Dufour]

OP's location, altitude, climate. If you live in the northern hemisphere it is now summer which is dry in my region.

[Bradley Gray]

OP has left the building

[Rick Grogan]

OP has left the building

Not left the woodshop. Just distracted as usual of late.

Thanks everyone for all the replies. I will do the following:

1. Clean the elements of my steamer with vinegar. I always try to use distilled water, but may have not done so once or twice.

2. Check the temp with an analog thermometer

3. Immerse the stock in water for a few days in a similar PVC pipe (with or without Downy, not sold on it yet) The wood I have used is green, but some may have been split a year or so ago.

4. And I recently bought steel strapping to assist in bending, will put it to use

Will repost results after trying solitions above.

Again, Thanks everyone

[Joe Jensen]

If you had a small hole with a cork and pulled the cork out would a laser temperature reader have any meaning full results? Or, would it just be seeing hot steam and not the wood.
Bil lD

The laser is just for aiming and not how the temp is measured. There is a sensor on the device and it reads a much wider angle. Like an inch wide at 12", so 1/12 of an inch at 1 inch

[Rick Grogan]

To soak the wood, I need to seal the PVC pipe using a threaded cap at the bottom so it won't leak. Don't really want to use the purple glue, cause not sure if that will make it 100% watertight. Looking for advice

And got a thermometer which immediately malfunctioned. Others must have days like that. You spend your time fixing the tool to fix the tool to do the job.

Report again later

[Rick Grogan]

several lengths of approx 1" X 3/4" soaking now. And added Downey after considering, "it couldn't hoit"
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