Can Olivewood Be Steam Bent?

[Bob C Thomas]

Hi guys, don't post very often but I would like to ask a question.

Can Olivewood Be Steam Bent?

[Pat Germain]

Probably. But you'd likely be better off using a bent wood laminate approach. You can take your time and the results are very solid and very permanent.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Yes. Olive wood relies on lignin at the cellular level for rigidity just like every other lumber.

It's not the steam it is the heat. Steam makes for a more effective convection pathway of heat into the wood. Trying to do it dry would take forever and likely damage the lumber.

Mind you I've not worked Olive but, it is still just wood.

[Jamie Buxton]

I haven't tried steambending olive myself, but Zachary Taylor, in his book Wood Bender's Handbook, says that olive does not bend well.