Hairdryer heat bending (pics)

[Rob W.]

After chasing a ring and reducing this stave to something that looks like a bow it needed some straightening.

I don't have a heat gun and buying Christmas presents right now is expensive so I decided to give a hairdryer and some tin foil a try.

   

I still have a long way to go but I think it worked pretty well.

Before

   


and after

   

[Flyboy718]

looks good...can you splain the process you used?

[Rob W.]

One limb needed that hinge looking area moved a bunch and the other was twisted starting about mid limb.
I surrounded the area that needed to move with the foil and let the hair dryer blow in there til the wood was hot to the touch. I then slowly clamped in the direction I needed to go with the hair dryer still going. I then let everything cool and unclamped.

For the twist I did the same but added a leather covered block on one side of the limb and heated a larger area. Both areas I went past what I needed anticipating a little bend loss.

The hair dryer was actually kind of nice. I could leave it heating without scorching the wood and it makes you go slow.

Rob

[John Scifres]

Color me surprised.  Way to go!

[nlester]

Love it.  Good job Rob!  Looking forward to seeing the finished product