Minnesota Source for Bending Stock?

[Keith Wilson]

Does anyone know of a good source for oak suitable for steam-bending not too far from St. Paul? There are plenty of oak trees around here; someone must cut them up into long skinny pieces. I don't need a lot. I'm replacing about 20 steamed frames in my Townie (17' lapstrake sloop, dory construction), and the original frames are white oak (I think), 1-3/16" x 5/16", although going a little heavier might not hurt. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Keith Wilson]

Does anyone know of a good source for oak suitable for steam-bending not too far from St. Paul? There are plenty of oak trees around here; someone must cut them up into long skinny pieces. I don't need a lot. I'm replacing about 20 steamed frames in my Townie (17' lapstrake sloop, dory construction), and the original frames are white oak (I think), 1-3/16" x 5/16", although going a little heavier might not hurt. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Keith Wilson]

Does anyone know of a good source for oak suitable for steam-bending not too far from St. Paul? There are plenty of oak trees around here; someone must cut them up into long skinny pieces. I don't need a lot. I'm replacing about 20 steamed frames in my Townie (17' lapstrake sloop, dory construction), and the original frames are white oak (I think), 1-3/16" x 5/16", although going a little heavier might not hurt. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Bruce Hooke]

Just as an FYI: only 3 of the white oaks are native to your area and of those it is the northern and western edge of the range of two of them. My memory from when I lived out there is that most of the oak in your area is red oak. I am telling you this just as a warning that you will need to look carefully to find white oak, which is what you really want.

If the bends required are not that sharp you could possibly get away with using kiln dried white oak and soaking it in water for a month or so before steaming it and bending it. This isn't ideal but can work if the bends are on the light side. However, there is a fair chance that if you are replacing frames it is because they have broken where they have to make a tight bend. By the way, if that's the case I wouldn't go larger on the frame size because that may actually increase the chances of them breaking at the sharp bends.

[Bruce Hooke]

Just as an FYI: only 3 of the white oaks are native to your area and of those it is the northern and western edge of the range of two of them. My memory from when I lived out there is that most of the oak in your area is red oak. I am telling you this just as a warning that you will need to look carefully to find white oak, which is what you really want.

If the bends required are not that sharp you could possibly get away with using kiln dried white oak and soaking it in water for a month or so before steaming it and bending it. This isn't ideal but can work if the bends are on the light side. However, there is a fair chance that if you are replacing frames it is because they have broken where they have to make a tight bend. By the way, if that's the case I wouldn't go larger on the frame size because that may actually increase the chances of them breaking at the sharp bends.

[Bruce Hooke]

Just as an FYI: only 3 of the white oaks are native to your area and of those it is the northern and western edge of the range of two of them. My memory from when I lived out there is that most of the oak in your area is red oak. I am telling you this just as a warning that you will need to look carefully to find white oak, which is what you really want.

If the bends required are not that sharp you could possibly get away with using kiln dried white oak and soaking it in water for a month or so before steaming it and bending it. This isn't ideal but can work if the bends are on the light side. However, there is a fair chance that if you are replacing frames it is because they have broken where they have to make a tight bend. By the way, if that's the case I wouldn't go larger on the frame size because that may actually increase the chances of them breaking at the sharp bends.

[TomRobb]

Your nearest Amish sawyer might be worth looking into. You want green and wet white oak.

[TomRobb]

Your nearest Amish sawyer might be worth looking into. You want green and wet white oak.

[TomRobb]

Your nearest Amish sawyer might be worth looking into. You want green and wet white oak.

[Andreas Jordahl Rhude]

Johnson Logging-Lumber, Highway 52, Cannon Falls, 507-263-5711

Root River Hardwood, Inc., 1300 Highway 52, Preston, MN 55965, 507-765-2284. They let me pick thru a pile of white oak at their sawmill that had come out of the woods the week before!

Maybe Elmo's Lumber and Plywood in Lake Elmo, 651-777-1431. They certainly have kiln-dried white oak.

[Andreas Jordahl Rhude]

Johnson Logging-Lumber, Highway 52, Cannon Falls, 507-263-5711

Root River Hardwood, Inc., 1300 Highway 52, Preston, MN 55965, 507-765-2284. They let me pick thru a pile of white oak at their sawmill that had come out of the woods the week before!

Maybe Elmo's Lumber and Plywood in Lake Elmo, 651-777-1431. They certainly have kiln-dried white oak.

[Andreas Jordahl Rhude]

Johnson Logging-Lumber, Highway 52, Cannon Falls, 507-263-5711

Root River Hardwood, Inc., 1300 Highway 52, Preston, MN 55965, 507-765-2284. They let me pick thru a pile of white oak at their sawmill that had come out of the woods the week before!

Maybe Elmo's Lumber and Plywood in Lake Elmo, 651-777-1431. They certainly have kiln-dried white oak.

[Keith Wilson]

Thank you, thank you! This is exactly what makes this forum so useful. BTW, the frames broke not because of bending, but because they have gotten a little rotten in places and brittle everywhere. The frames are also unsupported for about 6" where the lapstrake sides meet the flat dory bottom, and they get stepped on a lot.

[ 07-15-2002, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[Keith Wilson]

Thank you, thank you! This is exactly what makes this forum so useful. BTW, the frames broke not because of bending, but because they have gotten a little rotten in places and brittle everywhere. The frames are also unsupported for about 6" where the lapstrake sides meet the flat dory bottom, and they get stepped on a lot.

[ 07-15-2002, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[Keith Wilson]

Thank you, thank you! This is exactly what makes this forum so useful. BTW, the frames broke not because of bending, but because they have gotten a little rotten in places and brittle everywhere. The frames are also unsupported for about 6" where the lapstrake sides meet the flat dory bottom, and they get stepped on a lot.

[ 07-15-2002, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[TomRobb]

You can get frames to break out of the steam box if they're not green/wet enough or because of grain run-out or bent too quickly or not quickly enough :rolleyes:
You might get away w/ KD but the odds are poorer.
I wonder if you need to arraange some wedges under the unsupported ends to take the bending load when stepped on. Or better yet floor-boards ;)

[ 07-16-2002, 03:11 PM: Message edited by: TomRobb ]

[TomRobb]

You can get frames to break out of the steam box if they're not green/wet enough or because of grain run-out or bent too quickly or not quickly enough :rolleyes:
You might get away w/ KD but the odds are poorer.
I wonder if you need to arraange some wedges under the unsupported ends to take the bending load when stepped on. Or better yet floor-boards ;)

[ 07-16-2002, 03:11 PM: Message edited by: TomRobb ]

[TomRobb]

You can get frames to break out of the steam box if they're not green/wet enough or because of grain run-out or bent too quickly or not quickly enough :rolleyes:
You might get away w/ KD but the odds are poorer.
I wonder if you need to arraange some wedges under the unsupported ends to take the bending load when stepped on. Or better yet floor-boards ;)

[ 07-16-2002, 03:11 PM: Message edited by: TomRobb ]