Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[deltaman]

Can anyone help me please, I am building a Huntsman from and old set of Veron plans. It calls for some steaming of ply to build the windscreen frame.
I need to build a device to steam the ply, has anyone any pet ideas on the best way to do this, I have a wall paper steamer in the workshop can I utilise this in some way, any help appreciated.

[canabus]

Hi Deltaman

The wall paper steamer will work OK.
I use an old kettle and the steam from that works OK.
A pair of gloves is handy with hot stuff.
It only requires a few minutes off the steam held in place to cool.
It is better to over curve a bit to get the ends sitting in and clamp the middle when glue-ing into place.
I found this easier than trying to clamp the ends.

[grendel]

put the ply in a bucket or some container, add the steamers hose and cover with a towel. turn off the steamer before opening the container and allow the steam to stop flowing (or it will scald you). I use a 4 foot  length of waste pipe for steaming ribs and stringers and planks, a 1/4" square timber needs just over 10 minutes for gentle bends, a bit longer for tighter, I usually get between 4 and 6 10 minute steaming sessions from a top up of the steamer. you will need everything ready before your timber comes out as on such short steamings it dries quite quickly, I clamp the part to shape and give it overnight to set into shape, then you can glue and clamp. clamp the tighter curves in place first and work to the straighter end, ie for planks clamp the bow and work toward the stern.

[furball]

If it's not that big, wrap it in a paper towel, saturate it with water, wrap the whole lot in clingfilm and bung it in a microwave oven for a minute.


Be careful unwrapping it, because it'll be hot.



Lance

[tigertiger]

If it is small you could steam it using the old cooking saucepan method.
A former would help, and as suggested, over curve.

[Corposant]

Hopefully you have one or two bits of the same ply for a trial run or two. There is no substitute for experience!

[Ron Rees]

Hi Deltaman, welcome to Mayhem.


There are lots of ways to steam wood, as you may have gathered. You mentioned that you had a wallpaper stripper, these steamers are perfect for steaming long strips of wood, particularly hardwood, so I assume plywood will work as well.
I have a Wickes steam stripper and connect the hose from the hand held plate end to a piece of tubing (in my case 22mm copper pipe.) This is supported in the workmate or similar (It gets very hot!!). An assortment of tube bits and unions are needed to get one to fit the other but it works well. Leave the other end of the tube open.
A piece of 1/4 inch square hardwood, 4 feet long can be bent round to touch itself after about 4-5 minutes in this.
I recommend that you cut out a former from ply or chipboard the inside shape of what you want to form. Steam the wood and then bend round the former, hold in place with string or rubber bands, clamps if you have them. Leave to cool for an hour or so or even longer if it is thick) leave it to dry out properly (Overnight) before gluing to the model.


Thick gloves or long nosed pliers are essential, for obvious reasons.....Good luck.


Ron.

[derekwarner]

Delta.....before you get too engrossed in boiling the kettle....lets think 

Is it 3 ply? or 5  ply 

If it is 3 ply you have two layers in one direction [outer & outer] then the sandwiched layer at 90 degrees

The sheet of ply will naturally bend in one direction far easier than the other, so the hull panels can be drawn & cut from the direction of least resistance during the bend

It is also usual to leaver a 'margin' outside the hull profile for restraining/pinning or what ever and intended to be trimmed post glued and fixed

The manner of steaming sheet ply is optional....the method offered by furball in the Microwave is good....[the paper towel can shred, the Cling Wrap stick.....a plain cotton or linen tea towel works well].........just make sure the timber is well wetted or it could self combust

Try the 90 degree bend test.....it will surprise you ...

Derek

[ChrisF]

Can anyone help me please, I am building a Huntsman from and old set of Veron plans. It calls for some steaming of ply to build the windscreen frame.
I need to build a device to steam the ply, has anyone any pet ideas on the best way to do this, I have a wall paper steamer in the workshop can I utilise this in some way, any help appreciated.

Hi Stan - good to hear that you are making progress with your Huntsman build.

Have you built the rest of the boat yet or just finding out about things before you start? I've got that learning curve to go through!

I've also got a set of Veron plans but for the Swordfish 33 at a scale of 1:12.

Trouble is (well I'm actually enjoying it) is that I'm having to redraw the plans. Being as they were from the kit someone has had to draw around the templates and has made a pretty poor job of it with some being nowhere symmetrical or accurate. Cheeky b@gger has even put his name and the copy write symbol on those sheets!!

Fortunately I have the kit drawings for the plan and side elevations so I'm using those to check the templates against as far as I can. I envisage having to make some adjustments/remaking parts during the build though.

Still haven't made any progress on making space in the spare bedroom for that purpose which is getting frustrating!

Cheers, Chris 

[deltaman]

ChrisF


I think you have the same set of template drawings i had, yes I found the same problem. I folded the cut out templates in half only to find they did not match up, I had to do the same as you.


I have modified the build somewhat as I thought it was a bit weak in places, and I cannot understand why they make the cabin sides and rear well in three parts, one piece would have been much better and stronger, it may have been to save on wood in the original kit production.


The build is going well but the steaming is for the windscreen frame and this looks like a tricky one, I will follow the advice given here and make a former to mould around, it makes good sense.


Many thanks to all for your help, will let you know how it works out.

[ChrisF]

Be interested in some photos at some stage.


Yes, even with my inexperience in model building (i.e. zero!  ) I can see some shortcomings with the design, as you say with e.g. the cabin etc.


I've got a 46" Huntsman 31, which I bought ready built, which has the superstructure all in one part. My plan later, is to build a Huntsman 31 at 1:12 using my bigger version, 1: 8, to scale down from.