I needed a steam box to steam-bend a walnut handle. The last time I steam-bent a handle, I just threw it in a contractor bag and pumped it full of steam. This worked OK, but by the end of the steaming process, the bag had started to melt, turning into a bit of a mess.
This time I decided to build a proper steam box but lost interest because I hate shop projects; I’d rather be building furniture. Instead, I built a down-and-dirty steam box.
To build the project, I used four 6-foot cedar fence boards and cut them down to about 5 feet, so I would have a few scraps long enough to cap the ends of the steam chamber.
One end was fixed and nailed into place. The other end was hinged. The next time I use this, I will probably put the hinge on the bottom so that when I open it, and the steam boils out, it can go straight up without burning my hand.
I didn’t have any dowel stock to build the rack inside the steam chamber. Instead, I cut some of the scraps from the ends into 3/8” square stock. I then used a hollow mortise chisel to cut mortises for the square pegs to sit in.
When I cut the mortises, I clamped the two boards together to ensure they would line up perfectly. I also cut the mortises on a diagonal so the square pegs would sit on an angle in the box. Theoretically, this would prevent the stock from getting stuck on a square edge when loading the box. The porous nature of creating a rack on the bottom of the steam chamber allows steam to circulate all around the piece and prevents it from just lying in a puddle of water on the bottom of the box.
To keep a steady steam flow in the box, re-purposed one of those fabric steamers to steam out wrinkles. They don’t really work well for that, but they worked great for keeping a steady flow of steam in the box. Chairmaker Peter Galbert has good luck with wallpaper steamers.
I did learn a few things about hose placement in the box. It all needs to be on top. In the video, I have it placed at the bottom. The problem I kept running into was that the condensation kept draining back into the hose and filling it with water, preventing more steam from flowing by. Before I use it next time, I will plug the hole in the bottom and reattach it to the top, allowing me to keep the steamer and hose all on top, letting the condensation drain into the box and out through a drain hole.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.