PVC in a steaming setup

[Eric Garza]

I have a stave I need to straighten, and after seeing folks post about steaming entire staves to facilitate straightening I would like to try this. I will need to build a setup to steam a whole stave, and will probably need to get the parts from my local hardware store. Can I use PVC pipe for this task? Does it hold up well enough to the heat? Is there something else that works better?

Also, what are folks opinions on wall paper steamers as tools to generate steam versus a large pot of boiling water?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Eric Krewson]

PVC is OK, I have used stove pipe the most because you can get Ts and different size adapters. I have one in the attic right now made out black corrugated drain pipe, with a stove pipe T in the middle.

[DC]

I have used PVC. It does tend to sag sometimes but if you just screw a stick to it that will support it enough. The stick can be handy for holding it in a vice. If you try to grip hot PVC with a vice or a clamp it will collapse some. I don't think ABS is quite as flexible under heat but it will still distort if you try and hold it too tight.

[paulc]

I used a piece of grey drain line pvc. Deformed quite a bit but did what I needed it to do. Paul

[bubby]

I usually only do one whole limb at a time. I bought a garment steamer for $7 at Goodwill, put a bag on the limb I'm steaming and steam it and bend it while it is steal steaming. No worries about itcooling before you get it bent, I steam it right on the caul

[willie]

boat builders have a technique there they steam in a plastic bag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--iPQIwSEJM

[Eric Garza]

Wow, that's an amazing idea! Any ideas where you find those long bags?

[PatM]

Wow, that's an amazing idea! Any ideas where you find those long bags?

 Just google poly  tubing on a roll.

[DC]

Plastic works great. I use bread bags for smaller steam jobs. If you use printed bags make sure the printing is on the outside unless you want the bread company logo on the back of your bow. If you use plastic and are planning to clamp it inside the bag you have to pay attention to the clamping surface. Hot steamy plastic is very slippery on hot steamy wood. I got a roll of 8" plastic tube from a paint and plastics place. Industrial Plastics and Paints but that may be a western Canada company.

[bownarra]

Don't bother trying to do a full bow all at one time. You won't have time to apply calmps if there are a few trouble spots. Just do one limb at a time.  I much prefer heat treating and doing corrections at the same time to steaming. Boiling in the water is better than steaming for tight bends like recurves etc.

[DC]

Don't bother trying to do a full bow all at one time. You won't have time to apply calmps if there are a few trouble spots. Just do one limb at a time.  I much prefer heat treating and doing corrections at the same time to steaming. Boiling in the water is better than steaming for tight bends like recurves etc.

+1 sharp bends use boiling or steam, slight bends use dry heat. Keep in mind that previously bent areas will try to go back if you heat them again. If you work with wiggly wood you will learn to love/hate your heat gun

[PatM]

You can clamp the whole bow if you leave it in the tube .

[gutpile]

I have a 4"or 6" cant remeber pvc pipe with rubber caps on both ends .. I drilled holes near bottom of one side and ran bolts through it..keep stave suspended. the middle has a reducer tee... this has a rubber fernco that goes on to a gas can that I use to boil the water...when you pull bow out you better have gloves ion..hahahaha... work fast.. cause fast it cools quickly.. gut

[osage outlaw]

Wallpaper steamers work great.  I had a PVC tube and it worked fine.  Now I have an aluminum tube.  I made a cap for one end and made a rubber gasket that you could slide the bow through.  The steam went in the other end.  I didn't have to mess with foil or rags to plug the end. 

[Santanasaur]

I use vacuum seal bags with a wallpaper steamer. You can get the bags in rolls in many widths and cut them as long as you like. I keep a long one for whole bows, one for limbs, and a tiny bag for smaller areas like handles. Skip to 5:00 in this video to see the setup https://youtu.be/ye4GqWDGRak

Here I’m steaming a whole bow. I usually go limb by limb, but you can steam a whole bow too without any extra trouble  https://www.reddit.com/r/Bowyer/comments/exjq2z/steaming_a_bow_whole/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf