Can PVC be steamed?
Can PVC be steamed?
A steam box can be made from PVC, plywood or hardwood. It just needs to be able to stand up to moisture and heat. Your steam box needs to have some kind of support for your work pieces inside the box so that they are surrounded by steam, not just heated on one or two sides.
What wood is best for steam bending?
Q: Which types of wood are best for steam bending? TR: As a general rule, hardwoods tend to yield the best results – for us anyway. We use air dried ash and oak for our solid wood furniture products but other woods that work well include cherry, birch and maple.
How long do you need to steam wood to bend it?
The general rule for steam bending wood is 1 hour for every 1 in (2.5 cm) of thickness of the piece of wood that you are processing, but since all woods are different the time can vary. If you don’t steam the wood for long enough, then it will snap when you try to bend it.
What type of pipe should be used for steam?
carbon steel
What is the typical pipe material for steam systems? Pipes for steam systems are commonly manufactured from carbon steel to ASME B 16.9 A106. The same material may be used for condensate lines, although copper tubing is preferred in some industries.
Why is Ash good for steam bending?
Ash wood also grows fast and straight – which in turn makes the grain straight – and very enjoyable to steam bend successfully.
Does steam bending wood weaken it?
Steam bending is limited in the degree of bend it can achieve, particularly for thick wood. Also, not all species of wood steam-bend well. It weakens the wood slightly and can leave residual stresses which may cause breakage, blowouts or spring-back over time.
Can Plywood be steam bent?
You can use steam to soften plywood for bending, but it isn’t the best way to do it, because it requires a steamer large enough to accommodate a plywood sheet, which can be difficult to construct and expensive to buy.
How do you make a steam box?
Constructing the box is very easy. Screwed and glued tongue and groove joints keep the box’s seams tight. Support dowels allow steam to circulate around the wood. A plug on the door helps seal the box’s ends. (Note: Product availability and costs are subject to change since original publication date.)
What is the size of a steam box?
Our biggest steam box is a 13-1/2” x 13-1/2” x 73” plywood box. It is very simple – butt joints and screws. The work pieces are held up on dowels that run across the center of the box. The steam goes into the box via a hole drilled into the end of the box.
What size PVC pipe do I need for a steam box?
The Ultimate Steam Box by Mike Dunbar meets all these requirements. Using Schedule 80 PVC pipe and fittings, the pipe is impervious to steam heat, will not absorb water and will dry quickly, ready for storage in a few minutes. I made mine from 4 inch inside diameter schedule 80 PVC approximately 6 six feet long.
What are the relief holes on a steam box for?
Two 1 inch diameter holes, one at each end of the pipe, just before the end cap female fittings, are drilled to act as relief holes. They also provide a visual clue as to the readiness of the steam box to accept wood. The relief holes allow water (old steam) to drain without lowering the tempurature of the box.
