the five truths about steam bending wood
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- Опубліковано 11 січ 2025
- I tried to steam bend wood as cheaply as possible. And ended up doing the opposite. But I like the end result.
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They aren’t costs, they’re just unintended investments in your woodworking education. Thank you letting us come along for the ride.
A part? Are you kidding? Workshop builds are my favourite! Show us everything!
Ill go for it then :)
Exactly, record everything you do. Always be contenting! (that’s not a real word, is it?)
Haha I had the same thought! I want to see the whole process!
If you like workshop builds, head over to captain of my shed, lots of workshop building going on over there!
I’m in 100% on a whole series of your new shop build.
"It is suggested to be two people on the job" is my favourite description ever
😃😃
What an elegant and gorgeous way to show off the technique used without being in your face!
thanks!
The essence of how I do it. I do not have room for a steamer, so I just make a tub on the floor with some plastic. Put my object in it, fill up with water, leave it for a couple of hours. When I want to bend, I heat a small area (like 10 cm) with a hot air gun, and bend. Works every time.
As someone who is planning a wood bending project, this video scares me.... Haha nice job man, beautiful end result and awesome attention to detail along the way. Good call making your own frosted acrylic too, I definitely wont be buying that anymore.
Thanks Zac! Sanding the acrylic works good, but the swirl marks were a bit hard to get off. Cant wait to see how you get on bending
@@TheSwedishMaker next time use scrap wood, for clap holding, so that the clamps wouldn't flip fall or what not - that should make the process more satisfying ;)
also for laters,worthy ideas would be: DIY boom arm for dust extraction and cable management, I added a lamp to mine worka great, and I no longer feel lazy about dust extraction, as there is no issue Wit unco-operative hose.
Greetings
I hate it that the UA-cam algorithm didn’t show your video earlier. I love your videos and get inspired to make things myself every time I (re)watch your videos. You’re improving your skills so fast! And I’m not only talking about your woodworking skills, but your video editing skills as well. Let’s get to the 100K followers asap!
I love your channel. Your excitement and enthusiasm is real and that is a joy to watch. As far as a new shop. I want to see it from start to finish. I think that would be a great series and great content to watch
I love seeing genuine excitement and happiness during projects haha. Hell yeah!
Gorgeous lamp! You should make an overhead chandelier type fixture using 10-12 of the curved sections lashed together. You know, when you have free time.
that would be awesome! thanks a lot!
I really like this video! It's a full step-by-step guide "How to ...".
I love the transparency and honesty. You are living My dream and an inspiration to another 3d printer and woodworker enthusiast. You are impressive!
Did you consider a different process:
- cut thin strips
- steam thin strips
- bend thin strips into shape
- routing out the groove and do the roundover
I thnk this is the way I would prefer to do it. Thinner strips = less likely to crack and if it does crack you have not invested time in doing the perfect groove / roundover beforehand.
22:30 - I see yes you would :D Ok good!
I like the form of this light, would love to see you implement floating shelf techniques to attach the next one to the wall (ie invisible attachment points), and think you did a great job.
Well done on the finished item and your video presentation. Look forward to more.
Was not aware of a screw in thermometer, so that's a bonus lesson in available tech too. Great!
I learn a lot when I watch your videos and I'm sure it will be the same if you make one to show how you build your workshop. Thank you for all that you do!
Very nice build. I like that you kept the lamp simple and clean.
Thank you! Appreciate it
I love your honesty and showing the mistakes.
So often others show a project hapen and completed without those elements. Then when the rest of us try it, and it screws up....
We start to feel inferior and disappointed in our abilities.
It makes sense now that the grove would widen. But its something I wouldn't have thought about till you showed it.
The grove is possibly one of the reasons your wood didnt crack because the thinner area not only let more steam and heat in. But also put up less resistance to bending.
This lamp is really beautiful. Simple clear design.
Absolutely loved this build Pierre!
Thanks Eric!
Beautiful lamp, and I enjoyed your presentation too. I have done one (larger) steam bending project so I am an expert.
Unless you are concerned with overheating your workshop, the insulation is not necessary; there is a ton of heat in the steam and it will easily heat your wood including the heat losses. Extra time steaming is good. Extra time clamping is good.
You will only put as much humidity in the room as the steam generator uses in water, so not a big deal....just open the door to the room if needed.
Water will condense inside the tube. Tilt the tube slightly so the steam supply end of the pipe is lowest and leave a space for water to flow out. I just put the steam hose inside the pipe and crumpled up some aluminum foil as the cap. You don't need or want a perfect seal on either end of the pipe.
CPVC plastic pipe, available at a large home center, will work fine.
You want quarter-sawn wood to make the bending easier. Its not necessary to soak the wood, but it helps.
If you're making, for example, slats for a chair, cut 20% more than you need to account for broken ones or some that do not bend like the others.
You were correct to buy the steam generator-steam cleaner-wallpaper remover. The cheap ones will work great. Also it's very helpful for cleaning clothing or auto interiors or in the kitchen!
Great video Pierre, really informative and well balanced with the sponsorship. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with on the router table.
It was well worth going over budget for. The light turned out beautiful
thank you!
Nice to see wood bending succeed on the first try! But don't worry, you will get some cracked wood, eventually. I know I did.
Jealous of your lovely steamer and steam box. Mine was just a wood burner, an old pressure cooker, and a piece of PVC pipe. And yes, it got soft and sagged. I could rescue my wood, just in time.
One little comment, when you say; "I had it cut on the table saw" in English, it usually means, you got somebody to do it for you.
About the shop, yes please, I'd love to see you do it step by step. Subscribing for it, right now.
Thanks a lot! Ill make sure to get some good content out of the workshop build. Thanks for the sub
Super cool project! Excited for the router table!
That is a very beautiful lamp. And I really enjoy your video....very realistic, happy when things go well, not so happy when they don't.
Beautiful design and concept. I have failed at bending, but tried to get by with PVC and a poor steam design. You have given me newfound hope for actually trying this again, but with the proper pieces.
The piece I've been trying to duplicate is a quarter round piece of trim that is bent only on one end of a 2 meter long piece of Quarter Sawn White Oak. I am hoping you or one of your subscribers have some experience with using Quarter Sawn Oak, as it must match the old, broken piece my client needs.
Mange Tak
First time comment. That was awesome! Good job! Bravo! Glad to have your channel in my favorites :) Best Regards.
I understand your stress and your enjoy after you bent your piece of wood with SUCESS ! 👏. Very nice video 👍
Very, very slick design. Quite inspiring. With that said, please:
1) wear a mask!!! especially when you flunk on dust collection;
2) work on your shop’s ergonomics! I understand the heaviness you get when you interrupt your flow in order to setup machinery. But, once you think outside the box (and relegate design on the back burner), enhancing your work environment can lead to your most interesting projects, and even become an obsession (my (nut)case). I’ll really always be proud that, once, in a sublime Canadian chain of hardware stores (strangely) named Princess Auto, I saw a small motorcycles’ lift on sale (about 115$USD) and thought: this will support and carry my thickness planer! As a result, I use my planer at the utmost convenient height, and then fold the moto stand after use, and slide all of this under a workbench.
You’re tall! Lift your work surfaces. Use magnetic bars in strategic places to hold rulers, bits, etc. I wish YT coud allow me to send you pictures of my small shop. Greetings from Montreal!
PS : wear a mask!
The lamp is a thing of beauty you have a great eye for design. I loved the video and your sense of humour and cheeky personality shines through ( did you get the lamp reference there) well done Pierre ❤
Hahaha! I got it :) thanks a lot Steve! You know I value your opinion highly!
Very good idea tho Steve... Keep them coming lol
Wow the lamp turned out great ,and the pure joy when the steam bending worked 😃 👍
Awesome job, great prcoess, even better result, I hope your channel continues to grow and please show the full new workshop build
Great project, great video! Thank you, Pierre! 👍🏻
Awesome that you got it on the first try. I think the lamp would look much better free standing. Maybe pouring a concrete base or something. Mounting it to the wall kind of removes the complexity and beauty of the lamp.
excellent lamp, looks cool and original. good vid too pal
The router table fence in Fine Homebuilding issue #216 from 2011 is simple & functions well. I made it back then and have used it on the three router tables I've built since. It catches nearly all dust. I'll try to remember to post a video about it & my router table setup on IG when I get to the workshop today. Best, Andrew Thiessen
Fantastic project. The lamp turned out really nice! It looks like it would be even better free standing instead of clamped to a wall to really underline the split.
Yeah, this was my first thought too.
I also didn't like the wall brackets. It deserved a hidden screwhead into keyhole-type fixing - although perhaps The Swedish Maker has other plans for it and didn't want to interrupt the stem for now.
Wauw! An absolutely beautiful piece of furniture!
Great video, and btw, adding little emblems and logos and badges isn't stupid. I 3d model and 3d print a lot of different things. And personally I find adding logos and badges gives it so much character. It truly does make a project just a little bit more special
Vary cool project, thanks for sharing. And a second vote for the workshop build videos!
Will do! Thanks!
Good luck on your new workshop. I have been updating a shop for my needs and recently tore out a bench that was nailed into the wall. I was suprised to find the paint-covered, dented bench top was actually a pair of expensive 2x12 LVL's.
Here's what I'd like to see in a shop build video:
- How do you keep track of progress and order of operations? Sharpie list? Post-its? Digital project tracking?
- What goes into your choice of amperage spec for the electrical wiring?
- Do you consider any specific workflows key while you're deciding on the layout? Sounds like "Filming a 2 meter glueup" is one :)
- How do you balance quick and dirty vs over the top when deciding how much time to spend meeting each shop need?
- How can you let sunlight into the shop without weathering your wood supply?
- What extra steps do you do - and what steps do you skip - to make it easier to change the shop layout or functionality in the future?
- What safety considerations play a part in your layout decisions? I orient my table saw such that kickback wouldn't wreck anything important and so I can see the shop door.
Hey man! So many good questions to take into consideration that I havent thought about. I just copy pasted it :) thank you so much for the input! I value it a lot
@@TheSwedishMaker yw i was really happy to find another maker combining 3d printing and woodworking!
Beautiful result!
I guess the main takeaway from this project is that wood expands as it absorbs moisture :)
thank you! and yes :)
Very cool! This might be one of your best projects yet. Even the way you chose to mount it to the wall is cool. And now that you’re working with steam, the next build can be a sauna! haha
Well done!
Ooohh steam sauna! I like how you think :)
Well done. Beautiful result.
Thank you!
Went through a similar challenge when making a bent wood trug basket ,straight grain wood hard to find . Great job
I really love your videos! Lamp came out perfect, and you both gained an awesome steambender and alot of knowledge! Cant wait to see your next video 😍
Thank you Ola! Means a lot coming from you 😍
I added an extra panel to my table saw (steel frame and plywood top) and added a enjoywood router lift, you can then use the fence off the circular saw. This is great if you are limited with space.
I loved this build. And as a first time viewer loved that beard too.
Great video. Really nice production. One thing I’ve found to help with routing those longer thin pieces without a table is to clamp the router upside down to something solid and then push the piece across the bit instead of the other way round. Not perfect but it feels more easily controlled.
Beautiful lamp by the way.
thank you! I've wanted to try that out, but felt a bit scared that the router would come loose - but youve boosted my confidence to try it out now :)
It’s not as safe as an actual router table obviously, but it’ll get you by until you’ve built your super Uber routing extravaganza!
I don't think I have ever seen him so excited visually. Haha good for you!
Thank you :)
For the banding, earthquake straps, used by wood framers to tie a building to the foundation, is a good option, and it comes in smaller pieces.
Thanks man and that was wonderful 👍🏻
the result is really beautiful
thank you!
It’s really beautyfull! I just discovered your channel but I really like the way you explain your projects. You can be sure i’ll stay and watch all your videos
Great video...much better than my first few wood bending projects.
Really nice. Like the combo with wood and modern approach
My grandfather come to the united states when he was 26 his family were boat builders I learned a lot from him in woodworking and made a very good living at it I have steam bent a lot of wood but I have had some break you did a great job thank you
Thanks a lot!
Speaking for myself. But I really like the vibe of your small workshop. But I understand the limitations.
Hey! Just a curiosity - what's the router bit youre using at 14:00? I've been looking for a 2cm radius roundover bit for ages and I couldnt find one with a 6 or 8mm shaft
Beautiful work! I was expecting it to be freestanding, so was looking forward to seeing the split part more.
I thought the wall brackets interrupted the slender, linear nature though. It deserved a hidden screwhead into keyhole-type fixing - although perhaps you have other plans for it and didn't want to drill into the stem for now?
What a great design!
Awesome job. My favourite video of yours so far
Love the lamp, Pierre. Really simple, lovely design. And good on you for giving steam bending a crack! It's on my list of "Things I put off because I'm scared of it going wrong", but you've made it seem a tiny bit less scary :D
Go for it mate! Its scary but double the reward :)
It's really beautiful congratulations!
It's a gorgeous thing Pierre! Love it.
Thank you!
Really enjoyed this build and it turned out great! I'd love to see the whole shop build process. Why you made what decisions, what goes right and what goes wrong.
For the workshop build - planning and design phase/considerations please
Man. This. Lamp. Is. Pure. Beauty. Well done
Thanks man!
Really nice build!
I would suggest draping some towels or blankets over your steam box in the future. It will help the steam to condence and drip. A puddle is easyer to deal with than a moist shop.
Thoughts on just having a weep hole?
It turned out beautiful. 😍
I love it !!!! Amazing 🪵🛋 lamp !!!!
Well done! Marvelous idea and done very well.
Resultatet blev mycket bra ! Riktig bra jobbat! Hälsningar från Dalarna 😊
Great video. I love your honesty 👍
That was a great project! It may have been one of trial and error, but the result is amazing. I really enjoy watching your videos. Good luck with the router project.
Thank you! Appreciate it!
Very nice result!
Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing
Thanks!
Looks awesome Pierre, well done mate 🎉🎉
Thanks mate! 😃
That was awesome simple and elegant
Thanks a lot!
Even if the LED groove had not widened, it has shortened because the wood inside the bend is in compression and ends up shorter.
That is a very nice lamp you have made for yourself.
thanks a lot!
This was super cool!
For the router table I recommend adding fold up wings and a way to vent out the dust collector air from the bottom box of the router. If that box is air tight it restricts the air flow. At least in my experience.
On it! Thanks
Put your wood in a pressure cooker (custom made format). This allows the steam to penetrate deep into the wood with the pressure. A large gas bottle could be the basis.
This is how horse cart wheels were made.
First off, congratulations on your successful first steam bending, really a nice project!
Regarding the router table I would recommend using the empty space on the side of your Laguna table saw to save space in your workshop. If you are planning to put it in the future workshop in the barn I would make a wide table or with infeed and outfeed wings to support routing on long pieces. Imagine doing the roundover of the lamp you built at the table with proper support, much easier 👍
May I ask how expensive it was to get the Origin shipped to Sweden?
I’m a new subscriber and boy am I impressed with your skills… genius idea with this wooden lamp post it’s beautiful my friend… love your humour in your narration very dry and relatable… you definitely need a more spacious workshop to help you reduce on unnecessary labor… love your skills my friend all the best with your future endeavours I’ll be watching with great appreciation because you truly inspire me with your creativity and craftsmanship….
Very nice, Pierre! You could add a "return" hose to your steamer and let the water run back into the boiler, so you dont have to refill it all the time.
Thats a great addition! Thanks Björn!
Looks amazing😍😍😍😍
That is a beautiful lamp. Amazing that was your first time with steam bending!
Thank you!
Skitsnyggt! Bra jobbat! /Möbelsnickare Micke
tack! :)
For the router table, make a removable top that allows you to use it as a normal table and protects the surface. The top could also flip over and act as a homemade shaper origin workbench. They sell something similar. Use routed dovetail grooves for work holding while using the shaper.
Beautiful design. This would also make a great desk lamp or bedside lamps if you made a smaller version.
Very true! I would actually love to try that out. Would be easier now that Ive already tried the big thing :)
i have same hinge and lock from biltema as well!
Another great video! Thank you.
Thanks!
Hej Pierre,
so cool how you build the steambox including this nice logo badge.
Having no a large workshop with space enough to place all machines to work with larger pieces is almost hard and let's you spend many more time in reorganizing things....I know that well.
While watching I thought: it's very brave to first shaping the wood before bending...
But in the end it turns out great. What a beautiful lamp.
PS. I don't like wood turning yellow, too 😉
Maybe you should try an oil which doesn't give the wood that wet, yellow look. I use Scandic Oil by oli natura to get a clean, non-coloring finish.
Good tip with the oil! Ill look into it. Thanks a lot!
This is awesome! Where do I get black mdf!? So cool. Also you were not kidding, that's a tiny shop.
I'd attach a condensing pipe to the output so you can recapture the moisture and possibly feed it back into the steamer
Building a new workshop (speaking professionally as an Architect); 1st write a brief that includes current and future machines and processes, 2nd analysis, and document your processes /production work-flow, 3rd work out the minimum work /circulation spaces required for each work station, 4th design the layout of the shop allowing for the above, 5th critique and assess your design and layout with consideration of all your requirements 6th modify as required and reassess.
Router tables... dust extraction!
As for the "old" bits, learn how to sharpen them and other tools
Beatiful lamp.
Fast hade Wästberg sålt denna lampa hade den utan tvekan kostat runt 15-20 tusen ;)
Bara att jämföra med typ "w164 Alto" (sketful golvlampa för €1750), den egentliga skillnaden är väl att din är riktigt snygg!
Snyggt jobbat! 💪👌Väldigt elegant lampa!! 🤩