Steambox construction

[lmorgan]

Any suggestions for construction of a cheapo steambox? I'll be starting my first canoe this weekend and will need to laminate some stems in the near future.

[Don Maurer]

You shouldn't need a steambox to laminate stems. Cut your stock into 1/8" thick strips. Make enough strips to give the thickness you need. Wrap them all at once around a male mould with the proper curvature. Make the mould about 1/8" tighter curve on each end to counteract springback. You will need lots of clamps to hold the strips in contact with the mould. If you are having trouble getting the strips to bend, you can soak the strips in warm water for a few minutes, but be sure to give them several days on the mould to dry out again. After the dry run, cover the mould with polyethylene sheeting or plastic tape, apply epoxy glue to both sides of each strip and clamp it all back together again.

PS. If you want to play around with steam bending you can make one from a piece of PVC pipe. Fit a reducer on the lower end of the pipe and run a radiator hose to a kettle for a steam source. Stuff the upper end of the pipe with a cotton rag.