Steam bending!! *LINK*

Re: Steam bending!!

Bruce, a MN Galoot

I won't be trying that at home! It looks like those guys have a pretty good handle on it, though. All my grandparents are Scandinavian, but I never picked up either Norwegian or Swedish. Too bad, I'd like to know what they said.

Re: Steam bending!!

Chuck Bjorgen

Same here, Bruce. With my last name the best I can do is oofda and that’s probably more Minnesotan than Scandinavian.

Fascinating video

Howard in Toronto

Amazing what you can accomplish with ancient techniques and processes, no matter how big the job - wedges and massive pinch dogs.

I was impressed by the good faith (and eye-to-hand coordination) exhibited by the one guy holding a plank in place while the other guy's swinging a giant sledge hammer inches away from his chest....

Thanks for putting that up.

Re: Steam bending!!

Don Orr

That was pretty cool-or actually hot I guess. We did something very similar when Building the Onrust several years ago. We used a Dutch technique of "fire bending" which used open fires to heat and bend very wet green White Oak in thicknesses from 1" up to 2.5 " and 6"-8" or more wide. Up near the bow these planks would bend and twist in several directions in 1 length. Quite impressive to see the wood flex in such a way. The old shipwrights must have been amazing.