Steambending!

[flydog]

Hey folks,

Got my licks in on steambending for the first time. I had to make and place the floor frames. Seemed to go well. I'll find out how well when I try to attach the floorboards. The designer has me oiling the floor frames before installing them permanently. Will Tung Oil do? Or, is there a better choice for the marine environment?

flydog

[timgoz]

Hey Flydog,

An observation: You have an "!" after steambending in your post title. I find that both informative & a little amusing. Goes a long way in explaining your aggressive building pace. There is nothing like enthusiasim & it's underlying motivation.

If that motivation is mailable, send me some. Actually springs kicking my winterized & lethargic backside into gear. Got 20 trout already!

Have a good one.

TGoz

[Gilbert]

Tung oil is the best I know of.

[flydog]

I've been working on this boat since the end of Sept when I first put together the molds for the planking. I have to do a lot of visualization before I start cutting into expensive mahogany. Again, this is my first build and want it to turn out good. If you say this is an aggressive building pace, I'll accept it. The leaves were on the trees when I started, and now they're back!
flydog

[LP]

So Flydog,

How does gasoline work for steambending? I've only used water.

Looks good. I've always enjoyed steambending. It's amazing what a little hot, vaporized water will do.

[flydog]

I KNEW somebody would comment about the gas tank!!! I visited the local junkman and bought the old gas tank for the water boil. The designer called for white oak floor frames, but I used red oak. Seemed to work ok. After all, I don't have the resources for boatbuilding that someone on the coast of Maine does.

flydog

[VKRUE]

Hey Flydog, great little boat your building there. I've been reading a lot of your progress and posts here tonight and it looks like your learning a lot as well as doing a great job on the boat.

Your choice to use red oak for the frames might stir a bit of controversy. I've been told that red oak is extremely porous. So porous in fact that if you were to cut a thin piece of veneer from a piece of red oak ... say with a band saw... you'd be able to see daylight through it ! I think that someone here actually posted pic's of this.

Anyway, I'm certianly not condemning you for it... as I too am using some red oak on my boat. I try to buy mahogony when I can but, you know how it goes sometimes.

I do treat my wood with CPES. This is my way of "trying" to insure that I'll have a lasting piece of work. I coat all my pieces with the CPES before they are installed... all sides and end grain too. Might be something to consider.

[VKRUE]

Hey Flydog:

I got your message. I believe that the ash would be a good choice, but the question would be better asked here on the thread you've started.

I am not an experienced boatbuilder nor am I even a woodworker. Sorry to say, I'm only a lowley, humble truckdriver who's learning his boatbuilding skills the same as you.

I scanned a page from a book by The Woodenboat Series called "FRAME, STEM & KEEL REPAIR". It talks about wood and it's steam bending charactoristics... but, I cannot get it to upload... I have not been able to save it with the proper file extension. Tried several times... sorry. Anyway, it does list Ash as a good choice of wood for bending.

I think that this would be a good book for you to buy. Click on the link below, then... click on the book cover itself... if your computer allows the active-x controls then you can click on the right side of the book (in the following window) in the light grey area and it will allow you to see a few pages from inside the book.
http://www.amazon.com/Frame-Stem-Rep...5442031&sr=1-1

Chapter 1 is: Why Bent Frames Break, and How to Fix Them
Chapter 2 is: Bending Wood.
Chapter 3 is: An Unpressured Approach to Steaming
Chapter 4 is: A Steam Box Primer
Chapter 5 is: A Steam Box Scrapbook

So, you see there is plenty of information about bending wood in just the first 5 chapters. The book is paperback, has 22 chapters and 133 pages. It has many photos (black & white ) to get a good idea about what the authors are talking about. I have refered to this book many times in the short time that I've owned it. Even though your "building" as opposed to "repairing", I believe that this book would be very usefull to you too.

[PAR]

I would strongly recommend against oiled red oak as frames. It rots just at the mention of water contact, it isn't particularly strong and splits worse then most all oaks. If you are forced to use red oak, embalm it in CPES or other penetrating epoxy, including all fastener holes. It soaks up epoxy very well, which is also the reason it rots so quickly (soaks up moisture because of it's internal fiber structure).

In your area (Atlanta) live oak (you probably have one in your front yard) is even better then white oak. You'll want green wood (freshly cut) not seasoned and try to avoid kiln dried. The grain should be straight and knot free. If you've elected to use what you've got, then an oil mix that works is in order.

Using tung or boiled (not raw) linseed oil, mix with an equal amount of turpentine, then add about 2 ounces (it doesn't have to be exact) of Japan Dryer (available at paint supply or hardware stores) per quart of oil mixture. Mix well before wiping or brushing on. Brush on as many coats as it takes to get a shine all over, especially the end grain. Without the Japan Dryer, it will take weeks for the oil mixture to dry.

It should be noted that this oil mixture will wear off pretty quickly (they all do). In the south, an oil coating needs to be renewed several times a year for a Bristol finish, at least twice a year if the oil is to keep the wood reasonably healthy and will darken with age, requiring it be removed and reapplied from time to time.

Paint/varnish is a much better treatment for frames, if you're not going to epoxy them. Paint and varnish will live longer if the wood is given an oil treatment first (and allowed to dry well) then top coated with paint/varnish (same thing).

I have a special oil mixture that includes bug and other beastie killing agents, plus an anti mold/fungicide so it doesn't get those nasty little black specs after a while (they're actually little bugs and other critters) which can ruin a nice looking oil job.

[flydog]

Thanks PAR, I might redo the frames with some ash left over from the half-frames. It is hard not to get discouraged when you have to keep backing up and starting over on stages of the build. But I guess that is what learning is all about.

flydog

[PAR]

Hell, you got them now. If they're installed, just use the boat until it's time to replace them. You now have a better idea of what's going on and the next set will be better yet. Seal them up as best as you can and go sailing. If they die, they die and you'll have to make some more.