Member
I wouldn't go that far. Kilned wood is steambent successfully every day. Higher failure rates, but hardly impossible.Kiln-dried wood must not be used; the lignin in the wood has been permanently set during the hot dry kilning process. No amount of steaming or soaking will weeken the lignum bond sufficienntly for sucessful bending. The same applies for air dried wood that has been allowed to dry and stabilize below 10% moisture content.
““Perhaps then, you will say, ‘But where can one have a boat like that built today?’ And I will tell you that there are still some honest men who can sharpen a saw, plane, or adze...men (who) live and work in out of the way places, but that is lucky, for they can acquire materials for one third of city prices. Best, some of these gentlemen’s boatshops are in places where nothing but the occasional honk of a wild goose will distract them from their work.” -- L Francis Herreshoff
Contributor
Great job Frank!
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
Moderator
Nice project...I see such a need in my future...wife doesn't like anything straight...
[OP]
Guest
Right you are Bob! I do want to make a boat (a somewhat streamlined rowing boat) and that was part of the reason that I took this course.Originally Posted by Bob Smalser
Last edited by Frank Pellow; 01-25-2005 at 9:16 PM.
Member
I'd recommend a 6-hour canoe to start...just to get the hang of laying out bent wood. PLus it'll give the family something quick to play with while the major project is being built.
http://www.psnw.com/~jmrudholm/6hrcanoe.html
For a sleek, go-fast rowboat that'll also take a sliding seat, I like the Hereshoff Modified Rowboat drawn by John Gardner in his Building Classis Small Craft Volume II.
Or for rough water/surf the Chamberlain Gunning Dory in Gardner's Volume I.
A Whitehall did and would do both, but carvel trailer boats aren't always the best ideas and the Whitehall is a much more difficult hull than the above two.
““Perhaps then, you will say, ‘But where can one have a boat like that built today?’ And I will tell you that there are still some honest men who can sharpen a saw, plane, or adze...men (who) live and work in out of the way places, but that is lucky, for they can acquire materials for one third of city prices. Best, some of these gentlemen’s boatshops are in places where nothing but the occasional honk of a wild goose will distract them from their work.” -- L Francis Herreshoff
Member
I remember as a kid watching an old guy make a toboggan out of green birch .He buried the boards in a manure pile for a week then put them on a jig he had made up. that was about 50 years ago but I remember the toboggan was around for a long time
Member
Frank, Thanks for taking the time to post these detailed instructions. I just finished assembling my toboggan today and mostly used your instruction to build it. I bent 11 boards to get 7 good ones (splintered 4), but had fun making it. The hardest part was getting quarter sawn ash that hasn't been kiln dried, but in my search for the wood I made a new friend who is a fellow whitewater paddler and owner of a mill. Here is me bending the woodand here is the finished product
Jay Lewis
If the photos don't work the album can be viewed here http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailsh...1/t_=114421141
Member
Thank you for posting the Toboggan. I have just bent planks for making my own, and I am curious about how the cross pieces were fastened to the planks. I was going to use 8x3/4 stainless screws countersunk from the bottom.
What does everyone think?
Member
I'm in the process of building a toboggan and will use green white oak. Do you think the soaking is worthwhile? My intention was to just build a steam box (out of rigid insulation). But since I need it anyway I could make it water tight and soak the boards for a couple of days before steaming them. Do you think it might help in the bending process? They are 5/16" x 2" thick.
Contributor
Beau,
Welcome to the Creek!
The OP (originator) is no longer a member here and doesn't have posting privileges so you won't get a reply from him. Hopefully other members have the experience and will respond to your question.
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
Member
Not necessary and won't compensate for the grain runout that causes 99% of steambending failures. (grain has to be dead straight on both the face and the edge) But it also won't hurt. If you're gonna soak it, it'll take over a week to make any appreciable difference in MC if your stock is less than fully green.
Because grain runout can be difficult to read, I recommend folks split out bending stock from fresh logs using hammer and wedges followed by the froe to split off sapwood and pith. Then rick the balks to air dry before jointing and surface planing.
Just to show you that hundred-year-old bone dry wood can be bent, too. I do it regularly:
““Perhaps then, you will say, ‘But where can one have a boat like that built today?’ And I will tell you that there are still some honest men who can sharpen a saw, plane, or adze...men (who) live and work in out of the way places, but that is lucky, for they can acquire materials for one third of city prices. Best, some of these gentlemen’s boatshops are in places where nothing but the occasional honk of a wild goose will distract them from their work.” -- L Francis Herreshoff
Member
How thick are the bent pieces?
I remember riding a tobaggan as a kid, until we hit that rock....
Bill
Member
I'm in the process of building a toboggan (largely thanks to your pictures...very helpful!) I noticed a couple of things and had questions...
1) It looks like each slat is spaced 1/8" or so from the next one. Is there a reason for that? Would you have been happy to butt them up next to each other?
2) If you used green wood and put 3 coats of varnish on them how does the wood every dry out? Have you had any issues with the varnish lifting or the wood cupping?
3) What do you put on the bottom to fill the wood grain? Are the three coats enough?
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