Commercial Steam Benders?

[MandyBloom]

Hello all,

I am a woodworker specialising in furniture and architectural design (a one man situtation). Up until now I have steam bent my own parts but I am now trying to get more components of my designs outsourced so I use my time more effectively. I understand the faff of setting this up to get consistent results so I know it would be expensive to get someone similar to myself to do it, but I'm wondering if there is anyone who just does steam bending?

Does anyone know of a company or workshop that provides steam bending as a service?

I'm based in London / South West but any recommendation would be appreciated.

Many thanks

 

[johnnyb]

That's a long shot unless you can find someone that services the boat building industry maybe.

 

[recipio]

It's a bit of a dark art and would be difficult to outsource . I understand there is little point trying to bend kiln dried wood and air dried wood is more difficult to source. Lee Valley , the Canadian supply company sell all the gear for the enthusiastic amateur.

 

[MandyBloom]

Thanks for the replies. I do have quite a bit of my own personal experience and also my own equipment for steam bending. I just saw some places online in America that had a kind of industrial setup and wondered if anything existed in this part of the world. I suppose furniture with complex components like this are only ever done in relatively small runs...

 

[TRITON]

Saw a vid a bit back on chair manufacture that used steam bent components for the back rest. In it was a large bending machine the operator loaded a steam heated component onto ,which then quickly bent it to a hoop shape.


Try here.
https://www.ghebavaria.de/en/homepage.html

 

[Hornbeam]

David Colwell at Trannon furniture ,Petter Southall and Charles Whinney are 3 of the industries experts in commercial steam bending. It may be worth contacting them.

 

[Cabinetman]

There was a thread on here that featured a video of an American boatbuilder who steam bent using plastic bags, very long home made ones successfully. It was worth watching and he made it look very easy.
All bending for parts of furniture I have produced is laminated.
My only advice on bending of any sort is to plane the internal curve whilst it’s still flat.
Ian

 

[I like Ply]

Hello all,

I am a woodworker specialising in furniture and architectural design (a one man situtation). Up until now I have steam bent my own parts but I am now trying to get more components of my designs outsourced so I use my time more effectively. I understand the faff of setting this up to get consistent results so I know it would be expensive to get someone similar to myself to do it, but I'm wondering if there is anyone who just does steam bending?

Does anyone know of a company or workshop that provides steam bending as a service?

I'm based in London / South West but any recommendation would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Hello,
I am a product designer currently building a campervan, I am looking for a steam bending service for creating rounded corners (roughly 50mm radius) between the wall ply and the ceiling ply.

I have managed a few test pieces where I cut lots of grooves into a 9mm ply and then poured boiling water over them... A little bodge, but enough for a proof of concept.
I could only manage to get the ply to bend with the grooves showing and the ply didn't bend easily or evenly, it would be great to have a smooth and even unbroken ply curve, which I imagine is only feasible with a proper steamer.

I know that you are looking for a commercial service, but would you be interested in helping me finish my project with your equipment and experience? (Happy to pay for time etc! ) I am based just outside of Swindon (South West is the best).
Thanks and no pressure, I'm sure/hope you're busy making nice furniture!

 

[Cabinetman]

Hello,
I am a product designer currently building a campervan, I am looking for a steam bending service for creating rounded corners (roughly 50mm radius) between the wall ply and the ceiling ply.

I have managed a few test pieces where I cut lots of grooves into a 9mm ply and then poured boiling water over them... A little bodge, but enough for a proof of concept.
I could only manage to get the ply to bend with the grooves showing and the ply didn't bend easily or evenly, it would be great to have a smooth and even unbroken ply curve, which I imagine is only feasible with a proper steamer.

I know that you are looking for a commercial service, but would you be interested in helping me finish my project with your equipment and experience? (Happy to pay for time etc! ) I am based just outside of Swindon (South West is the best).
Thanks and no pressure, I'm sure/hope you're busy making nice furniture!

There are special plywood sheets that are designed to be bent to a curve, I don’t know the details I’m sorry, it was my product designer son who told me about it. Best of luck.

 

[TRITON]

There are special plywood sheets that are designed to be bent to a curve, I don’t know the details I’m sorry, it was my product designer son who told me about it. Best of luck.

bendy ply
https://plydirect.co.uk/product/fle...MIiLzu06rjgwMVJ6ODBx3k8wIbEAQYByABEgJCdvD_BwEI seem to remember another product, we used it in college. I think(dont quote me) that that was flexible in long or cross grain orientation. Depending on the project you would specify one or the other. That was thinner than the 5 or 8mm in the link above. Cant remember exactly, but maybe 2 or 3mm.

Example of use would be in a former, X number of sheets to the required thickness, then a final standard thickness 0.6mm veneer sheet as a final finished surface. So if you wanted to do something like an Eames chair, you use the bendy for the core material, then a rosewood(or whatever) front and back layer to create the shells.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

From a fairly swift search it seems that both the original DH Mosquito aircraft and the Eames chair both of which used curved plywood were made in moulds by gluing individual plies rather than plywood with its alternating grain direction.

In that it probably owes more to a technology that evolved into glass fibre using thin wood plies rather than glass fibre mat.

 

[Chrispy]

Tyler's hardwood at Malborough I believe do, at least they used to do steam bending amongst other things.

 

[Yojevol]

Have you tried this guy
5455?s=yWDuG2&fs=e

 

[Tris]

Could be worth making contact with Tom Raffield, afaik his firm does commissions so may be able to help

 

[iotarho]

From a fairly swift search it seems that both the original DH Mosquito aircraft and the Eames chair both of which used curved plywood were made in moulds by gluing individual plies rather than plywood with its alternating grain direction.

In that it probably owes more to a technology that evolved into glass fibre using thin wood plies rather than glass fibre mat.

Following on from this, we regularly build boats using veneers over a mould (cold moulding). It’s quite time intensive, as each strip of veneer tends to be custom shaped, and there’s generally two or three layers of veneer (each requiring fairing before the successive layer).

 

[iotarho]

From a fairly swift search it seems that both the original DH Mosquito aircraft and the Eames chair both of which used curved plywood were made in moulds by gluing individual plies rather than plywood with its alternating grain direction.

In that it probably owes more to a technology that evolved into glass fibre using thin wood plies rather than glass fibre mat.

Following on from this, we regularly build boats using veneers over a mould (cold moulding). It’s quite time intensive, as each strip of veneer tends to be custom shaped, and there’s generally two or three layers of veneer (each requiring fairing before the successive layer).

 

[Tweedy]

I'll drop you a pm. May be able to help.

 

[I like Ply]

Tyler's hardwood at Malborough I believe do, at least they used to do steam bending amongst other things.

Thank you for your suggestion!
I did get in touch with them but sadly their steamer is off until spring, but they did offer to make it as a solid piece (which would have made the part a lot more expensive!
I found two images of the test part to send to them and to you. I think I am just going to have to bodge it myself as per the test piece...

Any other suggestions much appreciated.

Sorry for hijacking this thread!

 

[ChaiLatte]

Any other suggestions much appreciated.

You want approx. 50mm radius. Standard brown/grey/black 110mm soil pipe is 55mm radius.

Buy a length of pipe and two end caps. Fill pipe with sand and cap.

Bend veneer over the pipe in three layers alternating direction, using appropriate adhesive.

Use surgical tubing or bungee rope to bind it all well until the glue sets.

 

[worn thumbs]

If you are located south and west of London,try the companies that restore traditional boats along the Thames.they will be used to steam bending for repair work.