Though bending on a hot pipe has worked reasonably well for me, there have been some difficulties and frustrations, and so I've entertained thoughts of other methods and techniques. Laminating is something I yet may try, and steam is also a method that has appealed to me for some reason.
I didn't really plan on doing this (this past weekend) but one thing led to another and I seem to have a working prototype. I used materials and things that I already had on hand, but there is no doubt improvements could be made.
What seems to be working best is getting the piece steamed and bent on the device, then moving it to an outside mold and clamping with a caul. The steaming itself doesn't take long, the whole process about 15-20 minutes. Leaving clamped overnight results in some spring back, but just a small and manageable amount.
I've so far bent hickory and walnut. These pieces are .085"/2.15mm thick for a tenor size instrument. In my haste I forgot to trim the width of the hickory, so there was some curling at the edges, but that will be trimmed away.
Though I haven't built anything yet with the steam bent sides, I'm pretty happy with the results and cautiously optimistic. More consistent bends and consistency overall better than what I've yet been able to accomplish on a heated pipe.
I didn't really plan on doing this (this past weekend) but one thing led to another and I seem to have a working prototype. I used materials and things that I already had on hand, but there is no doubt improvements could be made.
What seems to be working best is getting the piece steamed and bent on the device, then moving it to an outside mold and clamping with a caul. The steaming itself doesn't take long, the whole process about 15-20 minutes. Leaving clamped overnight results in some spring back, but just a small and manageable amount.
I've so far bent hickory and walnut. These pieces are .085"/2.15mm thick for a tenor size instrument. In my haste I forgot to trim the width of the hickory, so there was some curling at the edges, but that will be trimmed away.
Though I haven't built anything yet with the steam bent sides, I'm pretty happy with the results and cautiously optimistic. More consistent bends and consistency overall better than what I've yet been able to accomplish on a heated pipe.