7th July 2010
Lessons learned from using a steamer; Attempt #1. Soak the hardwood beading strips for a good few hours
and then steam for one. Take out and bend to shape, using the fillet piece as a former. Ominous cracking
sound. Decide to bind it in place only partially curved, and re-steam later to get the full curve.
Attempt #2. Remove the curved beads and re-soak, followed by another hour in the steamer. Oh dear. My
theory that I could increase the curve this way proves incorrect, as the steamed pieces have reverted
to their original straight shape. Much in the way that thermo-plastic behaves.
So, when steaming things, you get the one shot. The trick I learn is get it bent the second
it's out of the steamer. Never mind the resulting blisters and inadvertent monkey-noises. There's still
a bit of splitting, but nothing that I can't clamp and glue back. I think I may have been a bit over-
ambitious with the radius on these. Anyway, once dry I get them nailed and glued into place and after
sawing off the excess, they look quite neat. Listen to the footie (Spain 1 Germany 0) for a bit, then
it's time for bed.
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