25 July 2012

steamed chair parts

After weeks of tying to figure out how to to make a steam box so I could bend the chair’s back posts I finally quit figuring and just knocked one together out of stuff we had laying around.  The box is just some warped old planks screwed together.  This is connected to the steam source (Andy’s dorm room surplus hot pot) with a scrap radiator hose.

P1010062

The posts were in the box with the hot pot steaming away for a couple of hours before pulling them out & bending them on the scrap wood form.

P1010063Even though the posts are a full inch thick at the bend the steam softened ash bent quite easily.  It will need to dry for about a week and then it will be time to make the mortises for the back slats.

Cheers - dj

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