Selfbowyers: Guess what this is

[Scrub_buck]

Step one of my new steam chamber!!!
Got this piece of 5 inch aluminum irrigation pipe from my folk's farm over Christmas. I was telling my Pa about me wanting a steam chamber and was looking for the right piece of pipe for it. He laughed and said I got exactily what you need here within sight of the house.

I got a smaller piece as well to weld in the middle of the larger piece. That way it will be a "T" and I'll have an easy way to direct heat and steam into the long piece holding the blank.

A friend of mine hopefully will do the metal work, as I don't have a welder capable of aluminum work. I'll post more pictures as it comes together.



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[Justin Snyder]

Great idea.....  That pipe will deform so be careful.

[hawkbow]

 looks like a giant potato launcher.. LOL

[bootboy]

i need to build one of those too.
assuming of course that it is a steamer tube

[sulphur]

i've been using two aluminum baking tins.  the disposable kind, wired together and crimped to make a good seal.  they are about 30" long and have two hole cut into the top one for the stave to fit into.  once the stave is in use aluminum foil to seal the holes and throw it on your gas grille.  works great and i can get almost one whole limb in at a time.  would be  nice to have a steamer that could do a whole bow at once though.

[Del the cat]

Wrap it with insulation when it's finished to keep the heat in and stop any stray people & cats getting burned on it.
That looks like it will be one deluxe steamer.
Del

[islandpiper]

For low pressure, or no pressure steam, you can butt the Tee section on, cut to fit the curve and pop rivet some little angles to hold it.  Then a nice coating of silicone seal, maybe built up in 2-3 layered wipes.  Welding is nice, but, out of reach of most of us. 

Visit some boat building sites and forums and see what those guys use to steam canoe ribs.  They've been doing that for a thousand years, too, about like bowyers.  The difference is, you and i steam one bow and get real proud of it.   A boatbuilder steams and bends in 50 ribs and then goes to lunch while the next fifty are steaming. 

piper

[sailordad]

one caution with the silicone,ya might want to get it right with the first application
fresh silicone tends not to bond rea lwell with cured silicone,least ways the stuff that we use in the automotive field works like that

[Eric Krewson]

I made one out of 4" stove pipe from Lowe's and a coffee can. Cheap, works well but I no longer use it. Would give it to you Sandy if you lived closer.

[Grunt]

Put it across some sawhorses and get you a cheap hot plate and a coffee can. Tinfoil from the coffee can to the open end of the T and your in business. Have fun!!!

[crooketarrow]

   Remember it will steam you whole bow a not just the area deeded.This will help break down wood fibers over the whole bow.When heat or steam is used it can make your bow less durable.