Bowed Oak hatstand, see images

[difflock]

This hatstand was near "in bits" so I deconstructed it to refurbish it for the daughter.

Except one of the 1.8m long by 30mm square corner pieces is very clearly  bowed.

Is there any reason to be leery of steaming very old oak?

Does it need longer!

I have seen suggestions to use a wall paper steamer to provide the steam, but what other "handy" ways are there, since I don't got a wallpaper steamer.

Cheers,

Marcus

 

[Squaredy]

6 hours ago, difflock said:

This hatstand was near "in bits" so I deconstructed it to refurbish it for the daughter.

Except one of the 1.8m long by 30mm square corner pieces is very clearly  bowed.

Is there any reason to be leery of steaming very old oak?

Does it need longer!

I have seen suggestions to use a wall paper steamer to provide the steam, but what other "handy" ways are there, since I don't got a wallpaper steamer.

Cheers,

Marcus

 

For steaming you want fresh oak - don't waste your time trying to steam old oak. 

 

And a wallpaper stripper is by far the easiest method.

[trigger_andy]

2 hours ago, Squaredy said:

For steaming you want fresh oak - don't waste your time trying to steam old oak. 

 

And a wallpaper stripper is by far the easiest method.

Whilst I bow to your greater knowledge surely any wood thats old/seasoned will bend with the correct amount of steaming? Might take longer but I cant visualize whats happened to the timbers structure that wont allow the steam to bust out its cells to allow it to bend,

 

Unless the fact its so dry the cells of the timber can no longer "bust" out?

[nepia]

A guy on The Repair Shop has just straightened a decades old hammer handle with an hour's steaming in a box via a wallpaper stripper

[Dan Maynard]

Put the bowed one at the back? It's not a fault, it's character!

[difflock]

I will heed Squaredy's advice and leave it be. 

Character it is Dan!

Cheers.

Msrcus

Edited May 25, 2022 by difflock

[Squaredy]

38 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Whilst I bow to your greater knowledge surely any wood thats old/seasoned will bend with the correct amount of steaming? Might take longer but I cant visualize whats happened to the timbers structure that wont allow the steam to bust out its cells to allow it to bend,

 

Unless the fact its so dry the cells of the timber can no longer "bust" out?

It might be possible, but certainly when steam bending fresh timber is a lot easier.  I have tried with pieces that have dried a bit too much and they are likely to snap at any slight point where the grain is not straight.  Interestingly (though I have never tried personally) softwoods do not steam so well.  I know boatbuilders still do steam softwoods, but they always choose hardwoods for the major bent timbers.

[muttley9050]

I think it depends how much your trying to bend something. I've made a few sticks in the past. They are seasoned and then steam straightened. But it is only mild bending to get them a bit straighter. For major bending ive always had better results with green timber.

With this hatstand I would just leave it be.

 

 

[spuddog0507]

1 hour ago, trigger_andy said:

Whilst I bow to your greater knowledge surely any wood thats old/seasoned will bend with the correct amount of steaming? Might take longer but I cant visualize whats happened to the timbers structure that wont allow the steam to bust out its cells to allow it to bend,

 

Unless the fact its so dry the cells of the timber can no longer "bust" out?

When i was making some walking sticks during last winter some Hazel and Ash sticks that i have had a few years just would not straighten out no matter how hard i tried and its not like there massive as there not at 30-35mm but they would just not have it unlike some other sticks that i have had for 10-12mth which straighten nicely with not much steaming and very little effort, so i will have to agree with Squaredy on this subject after experiencing it first hand myself,,