I would like to bend a 3/8" thick air-dried cherry board across its width to use as a chair back splat. The bend would only be about 1/2" over a 9" width. Could I steam the board in the kitchen oven using boiling water at the start with the oven at say 250 degrees?
I also need to build a form to compress the board for drying. Would the form work if it was was 3 or 4 uprights of 3/4" thick material that are attached to a base?
I plan to test with a scrap piece. When switching over to the actual splat, would it be okay to cut tenons on the ends before steaming. It would be much easier to cut them on the flat stock.
Thanks for any input.
David