Craft · 6 pages · 12 min

How steam bends wood

Steam softens lignin so wet wood can compress into a curve on a form and then hold that shape.

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From the opening

Steam bending heats wet wood until the lignin that glues the fibers together softens, and the piece can be bent on a form. The curve is held until the wood cools and dries, and the lignin stiffens again in the new shape. The opening covers heat and moisture soften lignin, the inside of the bend compresses, and a strap limits outer tearing.

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Inside

Heat and moisture soften lignin
The inside of the bend compresses
A strap limits outer tearing
The grain stays continuous
Where the idea stops applying
A distinction worth keeping

Sources

Plasticized lignin in steam bending
Compression bending with a tension strap

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How steam bends wood

From the opening

Inside

Sources

Also on the desk