Bending Oak?

[Don Lamothe]

I have a 1x4x24" piece of Oak that I need to bend about 1/8" from end to end. I've tired putting weight (30 lbs) on both ends of it with a shim/spacer under the center for over a week but it hasn't budged. I've thought about wetting the Oak piece in the center where the shim is but I'm concerned that would ruin it. Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[Prashun Patel]

That's not a very severe bend. Do you have a picture? Can you boil it and press it in a form?

[Jamie Buxton]

Are you trying to bend it against the 4” direction, or the 1” direction?

[Paul F Franklin]

Tell it in a loud clear voice that it is going to be made into a cabinet door stile and leave the room. When you come back it will be bowed.

Sorry, I have no actually useful suggestions aside from steaming it.

[Robert Engel]

put it in the sun for a few hours

[Richard Coers]

For traditional bending you must soften the lignon that binds the cells together. That is done with water, steam, or heat. Luthiers use a steel pipe with a torch inside and rock the wood back and forth over the hot pipe to get the heat to soak in. Cold bending will not provide something with a permanent bend.

[russell lusthaus]

use a form and a heat gun. Not a severe bend.

[Tom Bender]

Thanks Richard. That's a new one on this Bender

[Don Lamothe]

Thanks everyone for all your input. Based on the feedback I've been getting, what I found on-line and how much I needed to bend this small piece of oak I decided to take a belt-sander to it. It worked like a charm. Thanks again!!!