steaming wood

[Jerry l Jones]

Anyone have ideas on how to build a steaming box. I need to steam 6 ft oak ribs for a tender.

[gonzo]

You need to build a long tube where the wood will fit in. I use rigid fiberglass insulation with alulminum facing. Score one face and bend it to form a box. Hold it together with aluminum duct tape. At the lower end there is the steam box connected by a hose. The steam can be produced by a small water heater with the thermostat bypassed so it boils. After you put the wood in the steambox, plug the upper end with a loose rag. The wood has to be green or soaked for a long time to bend properly.

[rjmac]

Ya, I believe it is around 45min/inch of thickness, depending on the steam temp.

Also you can use black pipe with endcaps, drill a hole in one end for pressure relief and depending on the pressure/temp you want a relief valve. With this arrangement you can submerge the oak in hot water at a higher temp, makes things go faster, this is a pressure cooker. Use "CAUTION", you would be building a boiler with this arrangement, it will blow up if the pressure is not regulated....... This arrangement will turn the oak into a wet noodle..... This is a little more expensive than what gonzo suggested, but is much more effective. Another drawback would also be that you will be limited to the number of frames you can steam....

Cannot stress enough "CAUTION", you would be building a pressure cooker.

[woodboat]

This magazine http://www.woodenboat.com/ Published a detailed article on construction of a steam box. Back issues are available.