Bending Wood

If you have only a bit of steaming to do, or want to experiment before investing in a proper steambox, stovetop steaming will get you by.

Foil-lined bubble wrap and weatherstripping make this box efficient.

Philip Morley's small wall cabinet has sides that curve inward at the top, with an asymmetrical arrangement of drawers, door, and open shelves.

Brian Boggs has steam-bent dozens of different woods over the years. Here he tells his favorites and why.

Use steam to create strong, curved parts with continuous grain.

Brian Boggs designs his two-part bending forms so that they mate exactly only after the laminates and cauls are in place; if they match with nothing between them, the fit will be imperfect once the laminates and cauls are loaded.

Christian Becksvoort builds a Shaker classic with minimal materials.

Mike Korsak demonstrates his technique using a two-part bending form and shopmade bead stock from six layers of rosewood veneer

Brian Boggs, a virtuoso of bending wood, explains the basics and far beyond

When building his round bistro table, professional woodworker Ray Finan needed to address a pretty typical problem: how to make the best use of his stock. His bistro table's design…