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Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
By:Thor
Date: 5/23/2013, 8:58 am
In Response To: Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood? (Jay Babina)

A number of years ago I had a sample to play with, about 3/8" x 1/2" x 12" it is truly flexible until it dries. I think you could compare bending it to bending 12-3 romex cable. I think the wood was beech. My understanding of how they made it was taking a roughly 6 x 6 beam, steam it so the moisture content was quite high, placing it in a metal box with the same inside dimension. Then with a hydraulic ram compress the length, which crushes the cells, essentially adding folds to the walls. I can't remember how much they compressed it but it was a lot, 15 to 20% of length comes to mind. It then returns to 95% of length. It is supposed to be almost as strong as normal wood. I was visiting a factory that made chairs and they had a chair that used about a 1" dia. Dowel and one of the workers showed that he could bend it into a U over his knee. The radius of the bend was less than 6".

Messages In This Thread

Material: Bendable Hardwood?
Steve Bartlett -- 5/22/2013, 9:39 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
ancient kayaker -- 5/22/2013, 11:00 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
Jay Babina -- 5/23/2013, 7:38 am
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
Thor -- 5/23/2013, 8:58 am
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
ancient kayaker -- 5/23/2013, 12:09 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 5/23/2013, 1:02 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
Matt Jakubek -- 5/23/2013, 2:35 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
ancient kayaker -- 5/23/2013, 7:18 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
dave koslow -- 5/24/2013, 12:21 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
ancient kayaker -- 5/24/2013, 11:52 pm
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
Bill Hamm -- 5/26/2013, 3:15 am
Re: Material: Bendable Hardwood?
ancient kayaker -- 5/26/2013, 4:14 pm