Wood Bending Experiment 2

A few days ago we bent some more wood for the dining table. Last time the compression strap was not substantial enough so it was beefed up with one band of 2 inch wide 16 gauge steel instead of two thin 20 gauge straps. This stopped the tension cracks from forming on the outside of the bend which is what happened last time. Added to the steel were some large maple handles to replace the laminated plywood.

The New Compression Strap

Two pieces of wood were steamed and then bent over the form, one ash, and one white oak.

Bent White Oak and Ash

Compression Side of the Bend

Tension Side of the Bend

The two other forms are now complete and all the blanks are cut. The next step is to bend all the necessary profiles and assemble. We will have more process shots of building the rest of the table soon!

And now for something completely different, Jim Bryson playing among the butterflies and the Weakerthans at the Wolfe Island Music Festival.

-Scott