steam bending wych Elm?

[martinedwards]

I have a chum who's a tree surgeon.

He was a whole tree of wych elm which is ready to saw.

I make guitars & mandolins and the like and was wondering.......

anyone ever steam bent wych elm?

I'll be planing it down to 2mm but what I wanna know, is it worth the bother?

ta!!

 

[Roger]

Elm / Wych Elm isn't usually recommended for steam bending - but it's the heat primarily that does it and with 2mm, you shouldn't have a problem if you choose the right grain. I've curled 2mm thick Elm strips around a hot stove chimney just to demonstrate it and also simply bent that thickness around a former for gluing up in layers.

Like any bending - steam or otherwise, choose some good straight grain and give it a try. A lot wil depend on the degree of curvature of course, but I would go for it; it's a beautiful wood to use in any piece.