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Going through odd shop woods I came across a couple (test?) pieces of steam bent wood. Years ago I picked up a derelict canoe from an aging-out canoe club elder. He gave me a lengthy tour of his collection, including an impressive paddling library. And before I left he gave me a few things; the never put together halves of a glass slalom kayak and four 18+’ lengths of ash gunwale.
And a couple oddities. A length of 7/8” square ash, steam bent with a long, gentle curve in the middle, almost at a 90 degree angle. And a length of 3/4” x 1” wood steam bent 180 degrees, into a U.
P1030014 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
The U bent piece is eight 1/8” thick strips laminated together.
P1030017 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
I know bupkis about steam bending, and assume these were test or demonstration pieces he had made. But now I’m curious. How tight a curve can be steam bent? I’m thinking the inside curve compression and outside curve elongation both have limits.
And what wood species allow for bending sharper curves?
Is laminating separate pieces a better solution for forming tight curves? And if so, how the hell is that accomplished – one strip at a time and laminated when/how?
Inquiring minds that will never-say-never steam bend wood want to know.
And a couple oddities. A length of 7/8” square ash, steam bent with a long, gentle curve in the middle, almost at a 90 degree angle. And a length of 3/4” x 1” wood steam bent 180 degrees, into a U.

The U bent piece is eight 1/8” thick strips laminated together.

I know bupkis about steam bending, and assume these were test or demonstration pieces he had made. But now I’m curious. How tight a curve can be steam bent? I’m thinking the inside curve compression and outside curve elongation both have limits.
And what wood species allow for bending sharper curves?
Is laminating separate pieces a better solution for forming tight curves? And if so, how the hell is that accomplished – one strip at a time and laminated when/how?
Inquiring minds that will never-say-never steam bend wood want to know.