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Just realized how they built the curved ceiling at the new library in Greenville
I was there yesterday checking out the reading room, and the whole thing is this amazing curved wood ceiling. Got talking to the building manager, and he said they used steam bending for the main ribs. They had to soak each 2x8 for like 48 hours before shaping it around the forms. The whole process added nearly three weeks to the schedule, but man, the result is wild. Has anyone else worked with steam bending on a job that big? I'm curious about the setup they used for the steam box.
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the_emma1mo ago
Wow, that's a crazy process. My buddy worked on a boat restoration where they had to steam bend these huge oak planks for the hull. They built a steam box out of PVC pipe and a wallpaper steamer, which sounds janky but actually worked. He said the worst part was handling the hot, floppy wood with gloves on. @the_pat, I feel you on the snapping, they ruined a few expensive pieces before they got the soak time right. The whole crew was soaked in condensation and smelled like a wet forest for weeks. Makes that library job sound even more impressive.
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the_pat1mo ago
My one attempt at steam bending a piece of trim ended with a snapped board and a sad workshop. Can't imagine doing it on that scale.
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ryan7932d ago
Man, @stella121 is right about the timing being so tricky. I saw a crew once using a huge tarp and a commercial steam generator, basically making a sauna for wood on the job site. The smell was wild.
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