Replies

1. 
   DennisS | Jun 24, 2003 08:32am | #1

   Roly -

   I tried steaming some stuff a while back just for the sake of trying. I just hammered some scrap plywood together with another piece simply laid on the top. Don't want the sucker tight or you'll be creating a pressure vessel and that ain't good - you probably already know that.

   For a steam source I made a pot out an old hot water tank and welded some legs on it. I happen to have one of those old gas burners plummers used years ago to heat lead for cast iron hub & spigot waste piping. I can bring five gallons of water to a rolling boil in about 20 minutes!

   The hot water tank already had threaded fittings on the top so I screwed in a street elbow and used some old auto heater hose I had lying around. (no, I don't throw anything away!). You have to place the steam box above the steam source and don't allow the hose to sag creating a trap for the steam. Or, conversely, make sure the hose slopes down to the steam box so the condensate runs into the box. The former relationship is, in my opinion, better since you don't have water potentially dripping on your material plus the condensate runs back into the boiler or steam pot saving some on the water used.

   It's really the arrangement of the hose that counts. The bigger diameter hose, the better I should think, though.

   ...........

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

2. 
   theRev | Jun 24, 2003 01:32pm | #2

   HI Roly,

   I just built a 4 footer two days ago and it works fine. The box is 12x12x48 3/4" cdx plywood. All glued and screwed. Two wood racks inside. Steam comes in from underneath in a 2 inch hose attached to a large tea kettle sitting on top of a propane burner. Up to temperature in about ten minutes. I cover the top and side with an old blanket when cooking the wood to keep the temperature up. And I have a small drain tube stuck in the end away from the mouth. Pretty simple. Need a picture, let me know.

   Scott

3. 
   TomMGTC | Jun 24, 2003 02:09pm | #3

   I use a $30 wallpaper steamer to power mine and it works great.

   Tom
4. 
   SCFrankland | Jun 24, 2003 03:54pm | #4

   I have built my steam box out of plywood also.  I built it so the front slopes down away from the steam source to a drain hole.  My steam source is a deep fryer.  I made a wooden lid that vents straight up in to the steam chamber.  Works great.

   Scott C. Frankland

   "This all could have been prevented if their parents had just used birth control"

5. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jun 24, 2003 04:55pm | #5

   Plastic DWV pipe wilts when exposed to steam.  DAMHIK.

6. 
   theRev | Jun 25, 2003 01:55pm | #6

   Roly,

   I was down at the shop getting some other pics and nabbed these for you to get an idea.

   I just prop the front of mine up just a little to get the drain effect going.

   Scott

   
1. 
   Bish | Jun 27, 2003 02:51am | #7

   Rev:

   My stem source is an old Coleman camp stove that uses white gas instead of the newer stoves which use propane. It works quite well in that the amount of heat you want to produce can be adjusted by turning a valve handle on the front.

   I used my steam apparatus for bending Windsor chair parts. The box was actually a piece of ABS pipe, supported along its length so that it wouldn't sag.

   My water holding tank is a five gallon gasoline tank (new, of course) which is located below the box. 

   The key to efficient wood bending for me was the need to compress the wood to be bent within a metal strap. FW featured an article on this. I'm sure you can find it in the index for these issues.

   I hope this helps. Good Kuck!!

1. 
   Elcoholic | Jun 27, 2003 10:12pm | #8

   My water holding tank is a five gallon gasoline tank

   Would that be the old style round metal gas cans?  Where'd you find a new one?  I've been keeping my eye for one just for this purpose.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   roly94 | Jun 28, 2003 06:03am | #9

   Thanks everyone for the responses.

   Rev,thanks for the pictures buddy.I wonder if real wood would work instead of plywood? Also what glue did you use that would hold up to the steam,polyurethane? Thanks tons in advance.Roland.

1. 
   theRev | Jun 28, 2003 08:19am | #10

   I just used tite bond II. And screws. I'm not steaming every day, so I can't vouch for the longevity of this box's construction. But I reckon I may not build another for many years.

   Scott

2. 
   Bish | Jul 02, 2003 05:52am | #12

   Dear ELC:

   The gasoline can mentioned was purchassed at a very well-equiped ACE hardware store in my area. The name of the store is DALE HARDWARE, and it is located in Fremont, California. The can is bright red, and very durable. It's great for my purposes. The opening allows for replenishing the water supply, if necessary, checking the water level. and allows for an ample supply of steam to the wood. I don't think one like it should be difficult to find. It is indeed round and metal.

                                                                Good Luck!!!

1. 
   jjf | Jul 02, 2003 02:50pm | #13

   We made a large box out of poplar with a hole in the bottomwhich just sat onto of an old kettle we put over an open fire.  Bent 2 X 3 ash for the frames of a riding chair.

3. 
   Len | Jul 02, 2003 05:16pm | #14

   I've seen them at OSH. Any farm supply place should have them.

   Len

7. 
   ron61 | Jun 28, 2003 11:11pm | #11

   I bought an Elc. Steam kettle from Lee Valley 

   Built a box 6x6x48in. long hinged plywood doors on each end- 4-3/4 dowels evenly spaced along the box to keep the wood up in the steam-I built a small stand that gives the box about 1/2 in. fall so the water will drain out

   I also used some PVC. pipe fittings to pipe the steam into the box- I had to turn down one of the fittings on the lathe to fit the pipe that came with the steam kettle.

   Also I used a meat thermometer in the side

   It works great and don't have to mess with a camp stove

   The kettle full of water lasts about 1 hour which worked out just fine for most things I steam.

   This is the max. for the kettle to work like it should if I wanted a bigger box I would need to add another kettle.

   Check out Lee Valley look in there woodworking section then under steam bending - there is some free info. about making a box.

   http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=45869&category=1,45866,45867&ccurrency=2&SID=

   
   

   ---

   Edited 6/28/2003 4:15:32 PM ET by I Like Beans

8. 
   EdHarrow | Jul 02, 2003 06:07pm | #15

   Roly - from my experience (limited to be certain) you want more steam than you are now putting out.  More and hotter steam calls for a bigger, hotter source, and a shorter, fatter connection.  The boxes I've used typically put the input into the center of the box (but not always), and didn't worry too much about where the condensation ended up.  Some put in a dedicated drain back to the source (why waste the hot water?) but I don't know if that concept works.  Anyway, radiator hose works well for your connection between boiler and box.  You might also haunt your local bookstore and pick up a copy of WoodenBoats' Frame, Stem, and Keel Repair.  It has a reasonable section covering steam boxes.  http://www.woodenboat.com

9. 
   klink | Jul 02, 2003 06:43pm | #16

   American Woodworker (Feb 1995) #43  shows Mike Dunbars Ultimate steam box.  It might be of Interest to you!  GL.