Author Topic: Bending short maple strips  (Read 5944 times)

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Offline Zradix

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Bending short maple strips
« on: March 04, 2015, 11:33:49 am »
Hey guys,

I'm working on a tril lam ( hick, maple, osage ).
I need to bend 5, 12" long, 2.5" wide, 3/16" strips of maple to match the handle contour.
These will be stacked on each other. After gluing and shaping the tapers the whole mess will be sandwiched between the core and back lams.

I'd like to minimize the spring back I'll get if I just glued them to the curve.
..who knows.maybe there wouldn't be much spring back with that number of glue lines.
I'm also thinking that when I shape the taper into it some of the stress will be relived and straighten a tad as well.

so....I'm thinking about bending them prior to gluing.

The maple is pretty clean wood with a very slight bit of curl in some pieces.

Would it be best to use dry heat for these or to steam them before clamping them into shape?


Thank you

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2015, 12:23:19 pm »
Steam them for 15 minutes and you will be able to move them however you wish.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline bubby

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2015, 12:46:36 pm »
If you wrap them in a wet towel and put them in a microwave for 2-3mins they will bend like a noodle
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2015, 12:49:34 pm »
Good plan bubbly
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline DC

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2015, 12:53:54 pm »
Could you glue and clamp them while they're still warm or would that be asking for trouble?

Offline bubby

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2015, 02:13:28 pm »
Just clamp them and leave to dry/cool, then glue them up
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Zradix

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2015, 03:03:43 pm »
Thanks for the tips
 :D

Offline Zradix

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2015, 01:04:42 am »
yunno what..
That microwave idea actually worked...lol

I got the pieces steamed, and bent.
 Going to wait a bit for em to dry back out and glue em up.

Thanks for the tips!
 :D

Offline bubby

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2015, 11:13:34 am »
Of course it worked ::), makes it easy don't it :)
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Zradix

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2015, 11:40:46 am »
yes it does!
Thank you!

...now I just gotta scrounge around for 6-5 used same wattage microwaves.
cut the sides out/off and line em up..oh yeah..we be steamin.. ;D

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2015, 12:18:22 pm »
Better have 5-6 separate breakers to. Pop! goes the breaker!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Zradix

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2015, 12:29:37 pm »
BREAKERS!!?
We don't need no stinkin breakers!

Offline Springbuck

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2015, 10:32:04 pm »
  microwaving little stuff is amazing.  I have even bent really hard tropical stuff that way.  I mean like mun ebody and amazakouai (sp?)

Offline Roy

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #13 on: March 07, 2015, 09:44:07 am »
Zradix, Betty Crocker would be proud of you.. Did ya wear a purty pink apron while ya was in the kitchen?:)
« Last Edit: March 07, 2015, 09:47:09 am by Roy »

Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: Bending short maple strips
« Reply #14 on: March 07, 2015, 12:49:29 pm »
You can bend whole staves with the microwave. :)
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