MICRO WAVE STEAM BENDING AND JIG

Cool Jig Kiefer

Looking forward to the box Kiefer!
Good idea on the microwave process as well.

You place the flat piece of wood in the microwave with a bowl of water next to it ? Then remove it and bend it onto the form ? Is that how it works ?

-- Yves

Ok..neat idea! But how are you holding everything togeter when you put it in the microwave? I’m thinking you can’t put the clamps in the microwave.

-- St Augustine FL, Experience is the sum of our mistakes!

interesting project. Thanks

-- John, Colorado's (Wooden Wizard)

OK
This is how I do it .
I soak the wood in a pot of water for a day and then wrap it in a hot wet towel and place it in the micro wave oven for 2 minutes pausing at one minute for a minute and also flipping it over .
Then I run to the shop, tripping over my dog and quicklyy putting it in the jig and bending and clamping the piece while my wife is taking pictures .
I guess I should have explained this in the post .

-- Kiefer https://www.youtube.com/user/woodkiefer1/videos

I’m still LMAO!!! I should of thought of that! Nice! And thanks for setting me stright!
Would I be wrong in saying ”that’s thinking outside the box”. :)

-- St Augustine FL, Experience is the sum of our mistakes!

Tony
I love people that laugh and as far as thinking outside of the box I have to give credit to others but this steaming process sure works great and the last pieces have come out pretty good .
It’s a learning and experimenting process with some poor bends but I can still use some sections for other designs .

-- Kiefer https://www.youtube.com/user/woodkiefer1/videos

Looks like you are getting close, real close !

-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""

Kiefer,
I’m all for experimenting! I even do it in the kitchen when it’s my turn to cook. It’s people like you that bring good things to life. I also spend a lot of time trying to think of a better way to do things. I have tried the “Box” (microwave) a few times to dry a few small pieces of wood or melt so bees wax but I haven’t tried to do any bending YET! Thanks for your Post! It may come in handy someday!
Nice work!

-- St Augustine FL, Experience is the sum of our mistakes!

Tony try this process and I think you will be amazed how pliable the wood is and if you look at the pics in the post you will realize it because I don’t use any levers, just my hands to form the wood around the jig which at the ends has a fairly small radius .

-- Kiefer https://www.youtube.com/user/woodkiefer1/videos

Kiefer,
I will give this a try. I can’t wait to see what you make using this jig. I’m making you my buddy so I can follow your progress. You have really got me thinking now! I’m retired and alwasy looking for something new to do!

-- St Augustine FL, Experience is the sum of our mistakes!

They came out really good.

I can’t tell if you got a lot of spring back , since they are trapped between two rails in the picture.

I tried the microwave method few months ago and I had mixed results.

I moved the microwave to the shop; the wife wasn’t very pleased.

My next steam bending project will be with a steam box because of the size of the laminations.

-- Abbas, Castro Valley, CA

Tony
es retired is a good thing
and it gives you time to reap the rewards of a working life.
I am almost there Hurray !!!!!!!!!!!
Ian
Yes there is spring back on these but being in the retainer for a while it is minimal and I think I can work with it as the box will be also a retainer and if not I will change the form and make it a tighter radius .

-- Kiefer https://www.youtube.com/user/woodkiefer1/videos

Maybe if you nuked two thin pices and glued them togeter with some Titebond III in the form the work would stay put when dried? Yes? No? Maybe?

-- St Augustine FL, Experience is the sum of our mistakes!