John Maderic
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
Needing a couple short pieces of bent ash to scarf into the stems on my Kennebec was holding up getting the canvas on and filled. Researching bending, I found where old school canoe parts, snowshoes and bows were made using wood split from the log. I visited a man in Speculator, NY; but he is no longer making snowshoes or pack baskets. My intention had been to try to buy a few split pieces for a few stems. Having to cut firewood from my land anyway, I decided to try. The first couple of ash trees when the trunk log was split were knotty, curved or spiraled grain.
The fourth tree yielded a couple decent looking split quarters from the bottom 5' section. The splitting itself improved with more effort to keep the spit following the grain. Then, adding a 12' foot 2 by 6 to the guard of my table saw; and holding the split piece to a 6' level, I started making some cuts and was able to get one straight side running with the grain. I used both the grain and the growth rings as a guide and achieved a straight edge after several pass's on the saw. It was kind of a lot of work to get the pieces; one (1" by 2 1/2") and one ( 1" by 1 1/4"), both 5' long, but I found it very self gratifying producing almost perfect 'with the grain' product to then try and steam bend.
For my steam generator I purchased a outdoor (wing?)fryer. similar to but not a turkey fryer. This one was $40 from Walmart and comes with a 3 gallon pan, welded stand with HD cast iron burn head, thermometer, etc. A simple board top with 1 1/2" PVC pipe running a couple feet and into the bottom of a 6' section of 5" PVC. After putting one piece of ash in using just a couple flat rocks to center it in the steam tube, I used a couple 4" PVC couplings wrapped with rags to stuff into the ends. It was a little leaky, but the fryer really put the heat to the water and it was over 200 degrees in 5 minutes starting with warm water. I started with the bigger of my two pieces and gave it an hour.
I'll admit having to abort my first try and sticking the board back in the steamer. Mainly I added a small bench to have the pegs wedges, etc, right at my fingertips as I tried bending. Also, a heavier strap may be better for future use but I didn't get any splitting as it bent. It was all very self gratifying, and if your steam bending parts in the future for the first time; look forward to .....you may be surprised at your results!
The fourth tree yielded a couple decent looking split quarters from the bottom 5' section. The splitting itself improved with more effort to keep the spit following the grain. Then, adding a 12' foot 2 by 6 to the guard of my table saw; and holding the split piece to a 6' level, I started making some cuts and was able to get one straight side running with the grain. I used both the grain and the growth rings as a guide and achieved a straight edge after several pass's on the saw. It was kind of a lot of work to get the pieces; one (1" by 2 1/2") and one ( 1" by 1 1/4"), both 5' long, but I found it very self gratifying producing almost perfect 'with the grain' product to then try and steam bend.
For my steam generator I purchased a outdoor (wing?)fryer. similar to but not a turkey fryer. This one was $40 from Walmart and comes with a 3 gallon pan, welded stand with HD cast iron burn head, thermometer, etc. A simple board top with 1 1/2" PVC pipe running a couple feet and into the bottom of a 6' section of 5" PVC. After putting one piece of ash in using just a couple flat rocks to center it in the steam tube, I used a couple 4" PVC couplings wrapped with rags to stuff into the ends. It was a little leaky, but the fryer really put the heat to the water and it was over 200 degrees in 5 minutes starting with warm water. I started with the bigger of my two pieces and gave it an hour.
I'll admit having to abort my first try and sticking the board back in the steamer. Mainly I added a small bench to have the pegs wedges, etc, right at my fingertips as I tried bending. Also, a heavier strap may be better for future use but I didn't get any splitting as it bent. It was all very self gratifying, and if your steam bending parts in the future for the first time; look forward to .....you may be surprised at your results!
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