How to Bend a Small Piece of Basswood

Last Updated: March 1, 2018

Ever tried to make a model house and needed the basswood bent? Or just plainly needed your basswood bent? Good. Now you’ll have your basswood bent in a little more than a 45 minutes!

Steps

1
Begin by soaking your piece of basswood in vinegar for 15 minutes.
2
Fill a large pot with hot water.
3
Put the pot with the lid on a stove to boil. Wait for it to boil, and then direct the steam into one area.
4
Place a glass cup (a canning jar will work) under your flow of steam.
5
Get an object heavy enough to hold your basswood on the cup (for example a glass salt shaker).
6
Place your piece of basswood on the cup under the steam. Then put the saltshaker (or weight) on the wood so that it stays up under the steam.
7
Make sure that the steam is shooting out under the wood.
8
After about 15 minutes flip on the other side and do the same.
9
Remove the wood from on top of the jar. Be careful, it's hot!
10
Now bend the wood with the grain. Bending the wood against the grain will result in uneven bend and also cracking.
- If you want to bend it a lot, you’ll have to secure it while it’s bent to keep it bent.
11
Clean everything up when you are done.

Warnings

Hot water may spray out from the under the lid. Please be safe.

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When bending the wood, bend it very slowly so that it doesn't crack.

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