Author Topic: Steamed wood for laminations?  (Read 867 times)

Offline reini

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Steamed wood for laminations?
« on: January 17, 2018, 07:29:00 AM »
Hi guys,

i've recently bought some steamed walnut and have cut lamination strips (.012) out of that. Until now i've always used untreated wood for making laminations.

When comparing the flexibility now (manually bending) of my new laminations against those old ones, i think they're weaker now.

Questions are: Has anyone of you used steamed wood for laminations? Is it physically modified in the steaming process in such a way that it's  improper for building bows afterwards? Or are there any other issues with using such lams?

! I'm just talking about industrially steamed wood, not about homemade steaming for bending purposes or such. That process uses temperatures between 170 and 200 degree F and goes over a long time (weeks).

thx reini
Timberpoint Odyssey II 43#@30"
Hunter's Niche Predator Hunter DX 38#@28"
Some self-made D/R Longbows

Offline bamboo

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Re: Steamed wood for laminations?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2018, 09:24:00 AM »
is it dry
Mike

Offline reini

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Re: Steamed wood for laminations?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2018, 01:48:00 PM »
Yes about 9%.
Timberpoint Odyssey II 43#@30"
Hunter's Niche Predator Hunter DX 38#@28"
Some self-made D/R Longbows

Online KenH

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Re: Steamed wood for laminations?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2018, 01:49:00 PM »
Why would you steam wood except to bend it?
Living Aboard the s/v ManCave

Offline reini

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Re: Steamed wood for laminations?
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2018, 01:31:00 AM »
wood ist industrially steamed to get better colours (e.g. beech, walnut), for sterilization, to reduce shrinkage/expansion and some other reasons.
Timberpoint Odyssey II 43#@30"
Hunter's Niche Predator Hunter DX 38#@28"
Some self-made D/R Longbows

Offline mikkekeswick

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Re: Steamed wood for laminations?
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2018, 03:22:00 AM »
And steaming dries wood in a controlled manner.
Your lams will be just fine. I wouldn't go any thicker than 0.040, preferaby 0.030

Offline reini

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Re: Steamed wood for laminations?
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2018, 05:11:00 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by mikkekeswick:
And steaming dries wood in a controlled manner.
Your lams will be just fine. I wouldn't go any thicker than 0.040, preferaby 0.030
thx! think i'll give it a try.

i was just feeling uncertain because those lams felt weaker and it's the first time i'm using steamed walnut. there were no other problems with flexibility or such. So, maybe the lams are fine and it's just a weaker wood.

thx reini
Timberpoint Odyssey II 43#@30"
Hunter's Niche Predator Hunter DX 38#@28"
Some self-made D/R Longbows

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