14' Drifter: steam bend the chine and shear?

[nivek]

Is there any benefit to steam bending if you don't actually need to?
I believe that people are building the drifter without steam bending! But would the inner chine and shear be stronger or more stable if steam bent?
My logic is: if the wood is not fighting to spring back, then it must be better! If it is not under stress, then it will accept screws with less chance of splitting! FYI, I've never worked with steamed wood!

I also have a question about using epoxy and/or thickened epoxy on freshly steamed wood. Are there any issues?

Thanks!

[Bill Edmundson]

nivek

If you don't need to steam bend you don't have to. The wood will eventually relax on its own. But, I think using some boiling water and towels is easy enough and speed up that process.

Bill

[cusoak]

I would not epoxy steam bent wood until it dries . If your pieces are thick that you are trying to bend you might only have to steam just a portion that needs to bend. I cheep way to make a steamer. Is to go to home Depot and but a wallpaper steamer ,a piece of 10' 3' pvc pipe and a cap. Glue the cap on one end. drill a couple of small holes in the pipe to let the steam out. support the pipe with a 2x4 so it does not bend on you when it gets hot. put wood into it. fill up the steamer with water and turn on, put the hose in to the pipe far enought to get to where you want the wood to bend. Stuff a towel it to the other end to close up. Heat the wood touch the pvc pipe and when it burns you finger when you touch it leave th woof in for about 30minutes. Put gloves on and with some extra help try to install if bending is to difficult the put back into the steamer and try later. It wont stay pliable every long so be ready to work fast.
Jeff

[thudpucker]

How about a Heat gun and some clamps?

I've bent wood, but it takes a long time to put a Stress on the board, and come back later to add more stress till you get what you want. Patience!

[cusoak]

Can you tell me how thick the boards are that you need to bend. If they are thick enough the you could cut them in half thickness wise and maybe bend them into shape and install with out steaming. You would have to install the first one and then epoxy the other to the first one. This what I did on my Zip that I built.
Jeff