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STRIP BENDING DEVICE

mleonc

mleonc

Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Messages
102
Points
103

Location
Sevilla (España)
Hello everyone, up until now when planking a hull, I used to bend the strips by keeping them in water for a while and then shaping them with a heating iron. With this method, some of them would break, so I have devised a tool to mold them without breaking, giving them the exact curvature required in each case. Here I show you the contraption I have prepared for this purpose.

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Basically, it consists of a metal cylinder—specifically made of aluminum—which is kept hot at the desired temperature by means of electric heating elements, a PT100 probe, and a temperature controller. The cylinder moves along some guides I made from DIN rails via a worm screw. On both sides of the cylinder, there are a pair of turrets (or revolving holders) fitted with small stainless steel rollers measuring 10 mm in diameter, which help bend the strips.

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Steef66 said:
Looks like a violin bending iron. AMAZON
nice tool
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I'm not sure if it looks like a violin bending iron or a cello bending iron, but Amazon might have good tools for that purpose. I made mine using just a few materials and some spare parts I had lying around, and I managed to put it to good use. The fact is, it works perfectly. Whether it's used for bending violins or bagpipes, that's fine by me.
 
Brilliant!! Happy bending.

I'm a hack..I soak my planks in water and then use the Admirals curling iron to get my desired results. Has worked well for me so far.

Post Script.....(Admiral not happy with my modeling ideas).. I subsequently did purchase several curling irons from the local thrift stores because I needed more options on bends (wide curl, tight curl, medium curl, flat). Didn't exceeded my $20 self imposed limit on the purchases. Unbelievable the amount of curling irons that show up at the thrift stores. ROTF
 
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MisterCA said:
Brilliant!! Happy bending.

I'm a hack..I soak my planks in water and then use the Admirals curling iron to get my desired results. Has worked well for me so far.

Post Script.....(Admiral not happy with my modeling ideas).. I subsequently did purchase several curling irons from the local thrift stores because I needed more options on bends (wide curl, tight curl, medium curl, flat). Didn't exceeded my $20 self imposed limit on the purchases. Unbelievable the amount of curling irons that show up at the thrift stores. ROTF
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ROTFROTFROTF It's incredible how the exact same thing happens across the Atlantic. I've used a clothes iron and the "Admiral" was this close to sending me to the galleys.
It's incredible how the exact same thing happens across the Atlantic. I've used a clothes iron and the "Admiral" was this close to sending me to the galleys.

With this system you also have to wet the planks in water before heating and bending, but at least you save yourself the lashes and getting keelhauled. ROTFROTFROTF
 
Broad bending has been done in many ways with success and your machine looks like it will work really well. For most folks, broad bending is not a big endeavor but edge bending is the difficult thing to get done. How do you edge bend to prevent lifting? I wish someone would come up with an adjustable device that duplicates the manual version seen on Chuck Passaro's four part video.
Allan

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AllanKP69 said:
Broad bending has been done in many ways with success and your machine looks like it will work really well. For most folks, broad bending is not a big endeavor but edge bending is the difficult thing to get done. How do you edge bend to prevent lifting? I wish someone would come up with an adjustable device that duplicates the manual version seen on Chuck Passaro's four part video.
Allan

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"The issue you raise is of the utmost interest and I think it has happened to all of us at some point, especially when bending sheer strakes, for example. Up until now, I used to do edge bending with the iron itself when the curve wasn't too pronounced. In this case, I want to try out a procedure and if it works, I'll pass it on to you: it consists of soaking the strip in an ammonia solution for a longer period of time instead of water, which allows the wood structure to be broken down. The big problem, as you will understand, is the toxicity of the product in question. I'll see how to solve that."
 
mleonc said:
"The issue you raise is of the utmost interest and I think it has happened to all of us at some point, especially when bending sheer strakes, for example. Up until now, I used to do edge bending with the iron itself when the curve wasn't too pronounced. In this case, I want to try out a procedure and if it works, I'll pass it on to you: it consists of soaking the strip in an ammonia solution for a longer period of time instead of water, which allows the wood structure to be broken down. The big problem, as you will understand, is the toxicity of the product in question. I'll see how to solve that."
Click to expand...
I have used windex which has ammonia in it. It seems to work but is not as onerous as a pure ammonia solution.
 
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