bending wood handles for a hand cart

[SDE]

Green wood will bend more easily than kiln or air dry ed wood. So I thought that I would go out and cut down a small oak tree to make the handles for this Feed mill hand truck. Should I shape the end of the handles before I attempt to bend the handles, after steaming them? After bending them, do I need to wait a few months for the wood to dry out and then cut the mortise and tendons? If the wood is still green, will the three cross pieces and the handles, dry out and then they will no longer fit properly?
Thank you
SDE

 

[kcm.MN]

While you can steam bend, you would find it much simpler to cut thinner strips of wood, then glue the strips together using a mold and clamps. When using glue, you will have little, if any, springback.

When steambending thicker wood, you "will" experience springback, so you will have to bend the wood farther than you want it to stay. Again, you will need a form and clamps.

You "may possibly" also be able to cold-bend the wood, but that really only works using thinner wood. Cold-bending is simply bending green or water-soaked wood.

Has been WAYYy too many years, so can't remember if you should also try to use a backer mold (a mold for both sides). Doing this will help prevent the wood from cracking.

 

[Janicholson]

Using a band saw make cuts just as far between as the blade width into the end of the stock. make another cut in scrap wood and cut off the thin veneer like pieces. prefit and sand as needed to make the thin pieces fit into the gaps of the handle. Make a male and female mold that matches the handle curve. On a drop cloth, set a pan of carpenters yellow wood glue big enough to glue up both sides of the strips. (having a helper is desirable). Glue up the strips and insert them into the slots rapidly. (workable time for the glue is about 15 minutes). Use a "C" clamp to pinch the laminations close to the depth of the cut to keep the laminations from pulling out when curving it. Place the end in the forming mold and clamp it. In about one week drying and curing time, the handle can be shaped and finished. Jim

 

[JD Seller]

I helped My Grand Father bend a lot of sled runners. He steamed the wood in a BIG kettle of water that had a enclosed top that just had a hole large enough for the runner. Then he clamped the pieces to forms he had. He usually let them dry for at least a month or longer.

He used natural dried hickory or white oak. He did not like kiln dried lumber. Said it would not take the steam right and you would have more broken pieces. Even when everything worked correctly he only got about 75% good pieces.

As for working the wood, bend it first than shape/finish it. Several reason. The main one is the wood will change shape as it is steamed and dried. So you will have to "true" it up after it is dried. Also with the high rate of scrap you do not want to waste time working a runner that fails to bent correctly.

 

[Steve@Advance]

The problem with using green wood is it will eventually dry and can open up some nasty cracks, the last thing you want for handles!

I like kcm's idea of the strips glued and formed in a mold. Use dried hard wood, probably oak. Cut a few strips strips about 1/8" or so, see how they bend and adjust accordingly. The mold can be made from a 2x12 cut on the band saw. Use waterproof glue, shape it to the desired form with a belt sander.

Looks like an interesting project!

 

[SDE]

A 2 X4 is stronger on edge than it is when it is laid flat, and so I assume that I will need to bend the wood on what I will call it's edge grain, but I do not see how the thinner strips would bend on it's edge grain without breaking. I can see how the lamination method will work bending the 1/8" strips. Laminated panels are stronger than natural wood, but will it be a stronger or as strong as bending the edge grain?
TY
SDE

 

[kcm.MN]

[color=blue:2da3ffb76a]A 2 X4 is stronger on edge than it is when it is laid flat[/color:2da3ffb76a], and so I assume that I will need to bend the wood on what I will call it's edge grain, but I do not see how the thinner strips would bend on it's edge grain without breaking. I can see how the lamination method will work bending the 1/8" strips. Laminated panels are stronger than natural wood, but will it be a stronger or as strong as bending the edge grain?
TY
SDE

When milling a log, the direction of the grain can literally end up in any orientation, according to how the log is sawed and how the tree grew. So as for a 2x4 being stronger one way than another, that's only due to the thickness of the wood; 1.5" x 3.5" finished dimensions.

Here's two videos that show what I was talking about before. The first shows bending 1" thick Ash. The 2nd video shows how to laminate thin strips to make a thicker piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9UPihp04xY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DppvZVV4BfM

The 3rd video shows how to bend wood using forms on both sides. Often one can get by with using only one part of a complete form, but using both parts helps prevent excessive stresses on the bending wood fibers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qixsIWx-IwE

This last video shows the advantage of using bent lamination. However, for the project you have in mind, you could likely get by with thicker pieces of wood.....say, 3/4" maybe? That wouldn't be so difficult. Remember, the thicker the wood, the harder it is to bend and the greater the chance of the wood splitting, and the more springback you will have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7FuNHshRnw



Disclaimer -- I haven't "watched" any of these videos yet. Just did a quick search and found some that seem like they'll help take some of the mystery out of the process.

 

[Janicholson]

On a 2X4 used to make the handle, the cuts to create the "laminations" (1/2 of which are attached, and part of the original, and 1/2 are cut from the same material) should be perpendicular to the flat sides. The bending will work best if the growth rings on the wood are more or less parallel with the 1-1/2" edges. Jim

 

[Ken Combs]

Most important thing, IMO, is selection of the wood. Riven Oak, Hickory or Ash would be preferred. Wood split that way will have nice straight grain, no surprising twists to spoil the bend. Cut to rough size, not shape, steam, bend, clamp to a form and let it dry. A long time. finsh shaping and sizing. Not a short process!

You can band saw to shape, but it won't be nearly as strong.

 

[jeffcat]

Well after reading you post abd I have done just a tiny bit of fooling around with some wood and hot water. Just enough to be dangerous. Look on U'tube and there are hundreds of ways. Here are a couple that make sense.
first one.

 

[jeffcat]

Here is one useing fabric softened wood.
fabric softener

 

[jeffcat]

Another good one
boat ribs.

 

[jeffcat]

Now I have got to try making one of these.
Shepherd crook

 

[jeffcat]

Now here is some pretty big stuff closer to what you want.
bigger bending