From Saw to Steam:

Three techniques for bending wood

Curved elements are a hallmark of fine furniture craftsmanship, adorning tables, beds, and chairs with elegance and structural integrity. At Thos. Moser, we embrace three distinct techniques to achieve bends and curves in wood: cutting, steam bending, and lamination. Each method exemplifies our dedication to precision and artistry and ensures that every piece retains its strength and timeless beauty.

The Cut curve

One of the most commonly used techniques for creating a curved element in furniture is to cut the curve using a saw or router. One major advantage is the furnituremaker’s ability to create beautiful, accurate curves. While this technique may be used for ease and efficiency, it can also be used as a design aesthetic for the furniture. For example, the back crest of the Harpswell Chair begins by being cut on the bandsaw from a single solid block of wood.

This style of cut provides a gentle curve, and sections of short grain don’t compromise the chair’s structural integrity. By employing this technique, we can reveal the growth rings of the wood, creating a one-of-a-kind centerpiece on the crest of the Harpswell Chair with a gentle curve that elegantly cradles one’s back.

Steam Bending

Steam bending in woodworking is a process in which wood is exposed to steam to make it pliable. This technique is often used for creating chair backs and arms, drawer fronts, and rockers, as it allows for the shaping of wood without the need to cut into the material, preserving the strength and integrity of the wood. Steam bending is especially valued for its ability to produce strong, smooth curves without the need for joints, making it ideal for creating the NYPl Chair arm.

Creating the bend for our NYPL Chair’s arm begins with air-dried wood with a moderate moisture content. Meanwhile, kiln-dried wood is preferred for the other elements of our furniture. Drying wood in a kiln hardens its lignin, a natural binder that permanently joins the wood fibers and cells together. Kiln drying makes the wood less flexible, so the fibers can tear when you try to bend it. In contrast, air-dried wood retains more flexible lignin, which softens with moisture, allowing the fibers to bend without tearing.

To create the NYPL Branch Chair arm, we begin with 42″ quartered material. The pieces are put into a steam box where the temperature reaches 230 degrees Fahrenheit, a point at which the lignin loses some of its strength and allows the wood to become pliable. Once the wood fibers have become soft and flexible from the steam, the boards are removed from the steam box, placed in a mold, clamped and bent into the desired shape, and left to cool and dry, retaining their new form.

Lamination

Bent lamination is a process that requires multiple layers of veneer, glue, pressure, and time. This technique improves the strength, stability, and endurance of many vital structural elements in our designs while adding complex and graceful dimensions.

At Thos. Moser, we utilize two different processes to create a bent lamination. One press utilizes radio frequency, which works similarly to a microwave. The machine produces a very rapid and uniform rise in temperature, allowing the element to cure almost instantly. This efficient process is used to create the smaller laminated elements of our furniture, like side table aprons, ship’s knees, or bases.

The second process is cold press lamination, where long pieces of veneer are glued and placed in forms and molds to make custom, flexible bends that must be left to cure for several hours or overnight. This process is used when creating the Thos. Moser Continuous arm.

From the precise cuts that reveal the natural patterns of the wood to steam bending that shapes the wood with heat and moisture and the intricate lamination that enhances both form and function, Thos. Moser’s commitment to excellence shines through in every curve. These techniques not only define our furniture but also uphold our legacy of craftsmanship, where innovation meets tradition to create pieces that are as resilient as they are breathtaking.

Read the featured content below to learn more about bendings and how we design with curves.