A very useful material found at Art Supplies Stores or Craft Stores is: FOAM BOARD, Here I used scraps to pin softened plank to shape drawn on the board and also as an improvised cradle for model in work.......BRINY (Bernie)

Hi Bernie --

Good tip - will check it out , thanks,


HOLD FAST!

Excellent tip...!

Thanks.

Bernie:

Some time ago another member gave the following advise.

Get pvc pipe from Lowe's or Home Depot an 1" to an 1+1/2 inch in diameter, three feet in length, also purchase an end cap plus a thread cap for the front or opening and a screw cap.

Purpose: to place whatever length wood within , then totally fill with DENATURED ALCHOHOL, totally submerging the wood strips within.

Keep the wood submerged for a minimum of five minutes, then place it into the jig you've made, bended it in the process to the shape you want.

Leave it alone for 24 hours. When you've removed the wood from the jig it will keep the new bent form.

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Thanks for the heads up with the use of the Styrofoam.

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My parents had a flower shop, pearl head pins were one of the staples kept on hand at all times.

landlubber7
Henry

Thanks for the tip on the Foam Board. will have to try that one.

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also the tip for the PVC Pipe.

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I use a 1" Diameter piece of stainless tubing andd an old kettle with spout. Place the tube on the end of spout, so that the tube is almost horizontal . Place timber in tube and boil kettle. It does not take long for the timber to absorb steam (some longer than others), remove and place in clamp or whatever method you are using for that particular shape. Allow to dry.

Regards Taffy

John:

You've obviously used this method in the past quite successfully, just remember that your dealing with hot steam, and since your handling the pipe while its connected to the steam source,. (IE) the tea pot.

Be careful, things have a tendency to go wrong at the most opportune moment,
You could get scalded.

The PVC pipe method that I described, is only utilised at a distance after being connected and then turned on and again handled when it is turned off and disconnected, even then when unscrewing the one end, the pipe is hot to handle. And the use of oven gloves can be applied when handling the PVC for this purpose.

landlubber7
Henry