Have we got any steam benders here?

[David Rose]

I've decided that I need to bend some 3/4 x 3" cedar into about a 2' radius for edging on my arbor arch. This is my first attempt at it though I have read a little on the subject.

Everyone recommends a new gas can for the boiler. I went around town tonight searching for a metal can. The "little boy" at Lowes informed me that metal was much too dangerous a container for gasoline. :rolleyes: I resisted the temptation to ask him what was used for the past 100 years. Well, I'm not quite that old, but do remember when cheap junk was made of plastic and you bought metal to get a good "one" of whatever. At any rate NO one had a metal gas can!

To the question... finally. Sorry. I dug out a propane boiler/deep fryer that we got as a gift one Christmas and never passed on or used. So I have a burner and stand and maybe the boiler. Before I ruin the lid on the 30 quart boiler with a major hole I question the lid seal. The lid has a curve to fit the curved lip of the boiler but no other seal. The lid is a little flexible but I can hold it down with something spanning the top to the handle on either side. Will a steam leak at this point be a major problem? I doubt that weather strip glue would hold up for long.

Thanks for any ideas

David

[Todd Burch]

Hi David. Steam leaks at the lid won't be a problem. Remember, you are not making a pressure boiler, just a boiler.

You'll have to drill a hole in the lid and affix some type of collar. A gas can would be easier.

Do you have any small "mom & pop" hardware stores in your area that you could look for a metal gas can? I bought one a few years ago, for this same purpose, and searched far and wide. I finally found one. Several months later, I was in a commercial chain-saw / lawn-care supply store and was tripping over them they had so many.

On another, and similar note to your Lowes trip, several years ago my girl friend at the time was looking to buy an electric lawn mower. We went to Sears to look at them. The snot-nosed kid there said that they weren't very good because as you mowed the far points of your yard, the mower would not have as much power because the extension cord would be stretched out fully...

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

The snot-nosed kid there said that they weren't very good because as you mowed the far points of your yard, the mower would not have as much power because the extension cord would be stretched out fully...

Todd, That Sears story is HI-LARIOUS! I wonder how we sometimes resist the temptation to smack the daylights out of these people who desperately need it. :D Sad thing is, there are folks out there that BELIEVE these "Saleskids"! ;)

[Noah Alkinburgh]

Todd, That Sears story is HI-LARIOUS! I wonder how we sometimes resist the temptation to smack the daylights out of these people who desperately need it. :D Sad thing is, there are folks out there that BELIEVE these "Saleskids"! ;)

The LOML went to Sears a couple Christmases ago to get some plug cutters for me as a present. The tool guy looked at her when she asked and said, "Do you know what the do?" Now, my wife, not 100% sure herself says, "Well I am pretty sure that you use them to cut the little wooden plugs used to cover screws." Salespersons reply, "Oh no, I know what those are and they are not plug cutters."

Wife has never shopped at Sears for a present for me again. :D

I got a couple more funny ones too. This all happened when I didn't know there were options for tools other than Sears.

Noah

[Carl Eyman]

I had some 20' long pieces to bend for a boat. I used a propane stove as used for crab/shrimp/crawfish boiling with a 55 gallon drum resting on it horizontally. (this was a fixed head drum) Into the head I cut a hole about 6" diam. and fitted a piece of 6" stovepipe. I added onto the pipe as many sections as necessary to accommodate the pieces I was bending and drilled small holes in the pipe to accept pieces of wire (coat hangers) to keep the work off the bottom of the stovepipe. The pieces were inserted in the stovepipe, the end plugged up, and the monster fired up. After at least one failed attempt (we didn't always have straigt grained wood) we learned to back up the piece to force the wood to compress vs. go into tension. Since we didn't have access to steel bands, we used fiberglass reinforced packaging tape. Two pieces on a 6" wide board with the ends c-clamped to the board worked well.

If we'd had it, a 30 gallon drum would have worked as well. Maybe even a 5 gallon can. I do have a picture, but it is not digitized. Can get it coppied if need be. Carl

[Pete Lamberty]

H David, I am not sure if this was pointed out to you in the other post. But use a piece of quarter sawn cedar. If you can't buy it that way, just cut it out of a larger board. In your 3/4 by 3 inch piece of wood the grain will be running parallel to the 3/4 inch dimension. This is if I understand your bend correctly. After your bend is successful, the outside of the bend will be 3/4 of an inch from the inside. Is this correct? Also use a back band or as someone else pointed out, tape. I have never used tape, so I have no experiences to share. Last year I bought a 2 and 1/2 gal. metal gas can from the True Value hardware. Maybe they can order one for you. I used a car radiator hose to run from the gas can up to the steam chamber. It works great. Hope some of this helps. Pete

[David Rose]

Todd, thanks for the encouragement to keep looking. Ace HW had one. It will be a snap to set up. After all that, the wife said she was glad I didn't trash the boiler. She wouldn't tell me that before. :( But it worked out well.

I'm sorry, but I agree with the kid at Sears. Ya see, when that electric cord is all coiled up, you have lots of induction. Induction makes motors (some of them) run. So as the coils break apart you lose power. Did the kid explain all that to ya? ...brother... I should invest in swamp land in Florida. These kids would probably buy it, if they had any money.

I can't agree with Kevin either. I more or less stumble and fall down from shock when these guys give such ludicrous answers. When I'm as old as Kevin, I will probably start to take it in stride and want to hit them too. :D

David


Hi David. Steam leaks at the lid won't be a problem. Remember, you are not making a pressure boiler, just a boiler.

You'll have to drill a hole in the lid and affix some type of collar. A gas can would be easier.

Do you have any small "mom & pop" hardware stores in your area that you could look for a metal gas can? I bought one a few years ago, for this same purpose, and searched far and wide. I finally found one. Several months later, I was in a commercial chain-saw / lawn-care supply store and was tripping over them they had so many.

On another, and similar note to your Lowes trip, several years ago my girl friend at the time was looking to buy an electric lawn mower. We went to Sears to look at them. The snot-nosed kid there said that they weren't very good because as you mowed the far points of your yard, the mower would not have as much power because the extension cord would be stretched out fully...

[David Rose]

Carl, I think I understand what you did. And I hear more and more about the support banding to stop the expansion or tension. I had thought that was an option, but I think I'll go ahead and start out that way.

David


I had some 20' long pieces to bend for a boat. I used a propane stove as used for crab/shrimp/crawfish boiling with a 55 gallon drum resting on it horizontally. (this was a fixed head drum) Into the head I cut a hole about 6" diam. and fitted a piece of 6" stovepipe. I added onto the pipe as many sections as necessary to accommodate the pieces I was bending and drilled small holes in the pipe to accept pieces of wire (coat hangers) to keep the work off the bottom of the stovepipe. The pieces were inserted in the stovepipe, the end plugged up, and the monster fired up. After at least one failed attempt (we didn't always have straigt grained wood) we learned to back up the piece to force the wood to compress vs. go into tension. Since we didn't have access to steel bands, we used fiberglass reinforced packaging tape. Two pieces on a 6" wide board with the ends c-clamped to the board worked well.

If we'd had it, a 30 gallon drum would have worked as well. Maybe even a 5 gallon can. I do have a picture, but it is not digitized. Can get it coppied if need be. Carl

[David Rose]

Pete, it's all helping. You understand the bend correctly. And I had read the "quarter sawn" part another time or two. I was hoping that was not really the case as it will mean resawing more 4x4s. I don't mind the resawing, it the *finding* good ones that is hard here. Most of what I am seeing is probably grade 3 stuff with lots of knots. I'm just finding a few damaged ones with damage where it won't matter that would be higher grade with fewer knots. Most of the 4xs that I'm finding are rift sawn so it will be "different" to get them into quarter sawn configuration, but it can happen.

And you are supporting the banding. I guess if it is worth doing, it's worth doing right, so...

Thanks

David


H David, I am not sure if this was pointed out to you in the other post. But use a piece of quarter sawn cedar. If you can't buy it that way, just cut it out of a larger board. In your 3/4 by 3 inch piece of wood the grain will be running parallel to the 3/4 inch dimension. This is if I understand your bend correctly. After your bend is successful, the outside of the bend will be 3/4 of an inch from the inside. Is this correct? Also use a back band or as someone else pointed out, tape. I have never used tape, so I have no experiences to share. Last year I bought a 2 and 1/2 gal. metal gas can from the True Value hardware. Maybe they can order one for you. I used a car radiator hose to run from the gas can up to the steam chamber. It works great. Hope some of this helps. Pete