Shopsmith Forums

johnheyd wrote:I remember in high school shop a lot of guys were making toboggans out of oak and they heated the ends of wood slats in boiling water for a period of time, then put then in a jig were they bent them. After then cooled they held that shape. So my thought is perhaps if you have an old turkey fryer, try boiling a redwood plank for about four hours - then clamp it into a jig to form the shape - let it cool and I'll bet you would have a curved form.

Wow - interesting thought. When I lived up in Port Townsend WA about 20+ years ago, there was a wooden boat building school up there and they had big wood steamers that you could put long boards into and then after steaming, bend and contort into the desired shape - obviously overkill for this project but your idea reminded me of that. I'll havew to ponder how to make the jig but I like your idea and there's really not much to lose in giving it a try.

I'll havew to ponder how to make the jig but I like your idea and there's really not much to lose in giving it a try.

I wonder if a heavy gauge plastic drain pipe would give you the desired inside radius for this?

danscot wrote:I wonder if a heavy gauge plastic drain pipe would give you the desired inside radius for this?

I was thinking the same thing - the correct diameter ABS or schedule 40 PVC, with ratcheting straps around it to bend the wood to that profile and clamp it until it dries...definitely worth a try. Fortunately around me finding some salvaged tight-grain clear redwood is fairly easy to do.

Anyone paying attention to grain direction?:D

I can understand toboggan strip bending, but creating cupping?