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Author Topic: bending wood  (Read 19059 times)

laserblue16

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bending wood
« on: November 16, 2006, 07:22:11 pm »

Hi there. Can anyone help me. I am having trouble with my wood bending and was wondering if anyone can tell me the best way to go about it? Thanks for any help.
m Chris.
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rats

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2006, 08:21:59 pm »

 Hi laserblue there is an earlier thread on this with plenty of info - but when I bend wood I boil or steam it, another way is to use a steamiron
    cheers rats
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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2006, 08:28:08 pm »


Hi Chris.

I once had a 'Real' boat and needed to fit new rubbing strakes. These had to be curved around the hull to meet at the bow. I had a friend who advised a steam tube method as well. The wood was placed in a drain pipe with one end blocked off and steam from a few kettles was sent up the pipe. After a while we pulled out the piece of timber and clamped it and bolted as we went along, and it curved to fit the boat great. ( Mind you, we had gloves on  :) )
Perhaps this might be what you are looking for only in a smaller form perhaps.

Cheers...ken
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andywright

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2006, 08:52:49 pm »

I am nearing the end of a model launch build, had to steam some timbers for the cokpit and rubbing strake, its under the builds section of the forum. Anyway I got one of those wallpaper steamers, fitted a pice of copper pipe to it and switched on. ~I also made formers on an mdf board (piece of scrap), i drew the curve i wanted and tightened it a bit and knocked panel pins in, bend the steamed timber around the template and let it cool, the timber then fits the model with out stressing the glue while it hardens.
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biggles1

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2006, 09:21:47 pm »

HI    YOU GUYS MUST BE TALKING ABOUT QUITE THICK WOOD. FOR BENDING WOODS LIKE THIN PLY STRIPS  BALSA BAMBOO ETC. BUY A TIN OF BAKE BEANS OPEN AND EAT THE CONTENTS FIX TIN HORIZONTAL IN VICE  PLACE A LIGHTED AROMATHERAPY OR NIGHT LIGHT CANDLE INSIDE. WHEN TIN GETS HOT USE CURVE OF TIN TO GENTLY BEND WOOD TO SHAPE.THIS HAS BEEN USED BY US MODEL FLYERS TO BEND BAMBOO OR STRIPS OF BALSA FOR WING TIPS OR TO MAKE ROUND FUZE FORMERS.YES WE DO STILL MAKE RUBBER POWERD MODELS.    ALL THE BEST DAVE
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andywright

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2006, 08:13:28 am »

Not really thick, I'm talking 10 and 12 mm wide by 2mm thick, but very tight bends, put it this way they snapped with out steam. When timber is steamed correctly it is great to work with, very pliable and once cooled it holds its shape. I agree with biggles about balsa, i've soaked balsa in water to make it bend.
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laserblue16

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2006, 10:13:31 am »

Thanks everyone who replied, i will try all those methods. The timber i need to bend is 3mm ply at varios widths from 15mm-50mm. Thanks. Chris.
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cbr900

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2006, 12:03:27 pm »

Laserblue,


Be very careful steaming ply as the steam turns to water and can case damage to the ply laminations glue, in other words the glue lets go and the ply falls apart,,,



Roy
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kayem

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2006, 12:23:00 pm »

Laserblue,

Be very careful steaming ply as the steam turns to water and can case damage to the ply laminations glue, in other words the glue lets go and the ply falls apart,,,

Roy

Really don't think this is something you need to worry about. Unless you are using the very lowest quality of cheap interior plywood, the adhesive will be 100" waterproof, you'll almost certainly find that it's stamped WBP which means 'water and boil proof'. If the ply came in a kit, I haven't seen any non WBP plywood since some early 1960s & 70s Aerokits examples, back in the days when that Company seemed to change hands every year. I came quite close to buying it myself once, but that's another story.
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laserblue16

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2006, 02:19:30 pm »

Its in my smit nederland kit from billings, These instructions are a bit vague. Cheers everyone. Chris.
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SanJuan

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2006, 10:40:14 pm »

I am new to wood model boat building and have started a Ocio Creative kit called the San Juan.

Wood bending is something i have thought about because the main deck in this kit needs a slight curve. I haven't got very far, but it is clear that the deck doesn't sit proud on the false keel and frames. Before i start sticking the decorative planks to the deck i was thinking it might be a good idea to bend the deck to shape?

The instructions don't say that any aided bending (steam or other methods mentioned here) is needed, but i'm wondering whether quick drying glue and a clamp of some sort is enough to hold it without bending?
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boatmadman

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2006, 10:43:45 pm »

I have laid deck planking in a curve following the shape of the hull using superglue, followed up by sealing with a satin varnish. I didnt steam or soak beforehand, it worked ok.

Ian
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andywright

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #12 on: November 29, 2006, 07:39:20 am »

If you can gat away with glueing the woos without steaming, aftewr the glue has set you can dampen the timber (Hot water best), this will take a lot of the stress from the glue.
Andy
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SanJuan

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2006, 09:30:39 am »

If you can gat away with glueing the woos without steaming, aftewr the glue has set you can dampen the timber (Hot water best), this will take a lot of the stress from the glue.
Andy


Is this method OK with plywood?
I don't know if it is of the WBP variety. I suppose i could email Ocio Creative for more info?!

The ply is 3mm thick, 290mm long, 115mm wide (at the centre) and it has to deflect by about 10mm in the centre.

I feel i'm being over cautious here because it's a bit new to me!??!
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boatmadman

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #14 on: November 29, 2006, 10:22:48 am »

I try to avoid putting water onto bare wood, it raises the grain.

Ian
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anmo

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #15 on: November 29, 2006, 02:12:00 pm »

It's true as madboatman says that water will raise the grain of the wood, some wood varieties are affected more than others of course, but I can't see that this matters too much at the construction stage. It can be a good way of relieving in-built stress, and after all, you're going to sand the whole thing later aren't you?

On SanJuan's query, I'd say it would be pretty much impossible to bend wood of the dimensions he gives without causing it to buckle. It's the width that's the problem, so couldn't you cut it into narrower strips? If you dampen plywood, you're only going to affect the top layer, or if you dampen it both sides, the two outer layers, and many adhesives won't work on damp wood. A better way that can work surprisingly well is to use heat. I often use a small Teflon coated temperature controlled iron that I used for applying Monokote covering back in my model flying days, but a small domestic iron on a high setting will probably work OK as well. You'll need to experiment a bit, and just leave my name out of it if you get caught.
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SanJuan

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2006, 03:12:28 pm »

I borrowed a book from the local library today called "Building plank on frame ship models" by Ron McCarthy and it describes the heated tin can approach mentioned by Biggles1 above.
It even has a photo of it clamped into a vice.

I assume one just gently bends the wood as much as needed using the heated tin as a sort of rough former?

BTW, i should have mentioned that the ply only has to bend through one axis, so i'm not sure that distortion will be a problem.
I might give the tin can method a go, i'll just have to make sure that i don't burn the shed down!

This is the manufacturers kit page:

http://www.occre.com/otras.php?Elemento=9
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SanJuan

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2006, 07:26:39 pm »

I sorted my bending problem!

After a lot more searching on techniques for bending plywood i decided on simply scoring the underside with cuts into the outer ply layer (it is 3 ply wood) at about 8 mm intervals across the underside of the deck. This did the trick and the deck was successfully glued down with a nice curve. The cuts weakened the ply so that it would bend.

BTW the tin can method i think is only suitable for thin strips of wood, it was certainly useless with the ply, although i may have been doing it wrong. I think someone already mentioned potential distortion problems with apply heat or water to ply.

But now i am considering changing the model design, because the mizzen mast is only seated to about 3 or 4 millimetres depth into the rear deck. If i moved it forward by about 2 centimetres i could give it 10 to 20 mm as it could go into the main hull.
You'd think the kit designers would have done a better job. The main mast seats some 20 mm into the hull.
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deadfrog66

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #18 on: February 14, 2012, 02:41:07 pm »

hi i just strat making a  occre model calella can anly one tell me the best way to bend the wood the wood is ramin wood
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CGAux26

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2012, 12:33:26 am »

I have recently completed a plank on frame hull, with 5/32 X 1/4" balsa strips.  There are some pretty sharp bends.  Per some advice from Laser110 and others on RCGroups.com, I made a soaking tube from 2" pipe, 36" long with caps on the ends (one a screw cap).  The tube is filled with Windex (or your local ammonia-bearing window cleaner).  I soaked the balsa strips 30 minutes or longer.  Removed them from the tube, wiped some liquid off, and glued with CA.  Worked great.  The only part of your job that makes me hesitate is will the plywood glue survive the Windex?
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deadfrog66

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2012, 08:03:02 pm »

 why fill  with Windex (or your local ammonia-bearing window cleaner). is this the best way.  What happens if i just use water.
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dougal99

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2012, 08:22:41 pm »

Ammonia alters the structure of the wood and makes it easier to bend. The stronger the solution the quicker the action. Using household ammonia I found 10 minutes was more than enough to bend 1/2" strip across its width.
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John W E

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Re: bending wood
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2012, 08:49:41 pm »

hi there

If you are being Ramin wood, it may be adviseable to put it in hot or even boiling water for 10-15 minutes - normally place the end of the plank to be bent down the end of a spout of an old kettle whilst its boiling, prefer that method than using amonia.

You could try bending the planks over a piece of 2" plastic drainpipe - draw the wood through between your thumb and the drainpipe and apply pressure - I have used this method many times and its worked every time - on all types of timber.


john
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