STEAM BENT COMPONENT
Steam bending is a traditional furniture making technique. In this model, steam bent parts are clamped together for stability, however individual parts are not under stress.
My bending experiment resulted in a sculptural assembly of bent parts, which later inspired the timber screen component.
BENDING PROCESS
COMPONENTS:
10mm dry ash timber section
Steaming box
Kettle
Molds
Clamps
PROCESS
Build the molds allowing for springback
Insert timber strips into the box
Steam for 1 hour
Take the strip out with hand and eye protection
Fit timber strip into the mold and clamp it while it is flexible
Keep strips in molds for a day
Undo the clamps and assess the springback
Put components together
TESTING THE LIMITS
