TOPIC: New Wood Steamer

Well believe it or not this is boat related even though the pics might not look like it. Santa brought me a new 55,000 btu wood steamer. You may not recognize it because it looks like an turkey fryer/seafood steamer but honest it's a wood steamer! I'll post the transformations in my project thread, just thought everyone might enjoy it. I'll post the pics to this thread also. I still have to get the stove pipe, plywood and metal dryer vent hose.


Oh yeah apparently he though I handle too many nasty things so he gave me hand sanitizer that smell like Mahogany and Teak, how cool is that!?!?!?!?!


Bob

can't wait to see this progression!

One project I have in mind is making a steamer and a jig to bent my shafts into canes and crooks for staffs.

Ok, so it's been a little while. Had to travel for work etc etc. Anyway here is the transformation. no modifications to the existing equipment. Here are the parts:


Glued the two pieces of plywood together with Resorcinol since I had some for the transom and it's waterproof. Threaded the PVC coupler in and put 4200 around it to seal it. Attached the rubber reducer and inserted the 8' flexible dryer hose in it and clamped it all down. the flex hose expands as necessary.

Used some weather stripping that I had lying around. Glued it in using the 4200.

Here it is clamped to the steamer pot, all done.


Now I just need to build the box. you can use pretty much anything. I think I may make a small one for the wife's vanity stool she wants me to make, using 1/4" plywood. For the long chines and planks I may use the insulated foam and foil stuff. what ever works out to be the cheapest since it will have to be 19' long! Maybe I'll try the bag method.

Bob

Good thinking. Just a couple of observations here. 1. Where is the condensing/cooling coil and 2. Did the admiral know your plans when you begged for a "turkey fryer" for Christmas?

Be careful the flames don't lick up and burn off those bungees.

I too use a turkey fryer as the heat source for my steamer. I use a metal gas can (unused for gas of course) as the boiler vessel, along with a length of automotive heater hose to carry the steam to an 8" diameter PVC pipe. I use a piece of expanded metal to make a rack inside the pipe to keep the wood out of the condensate that forms in the bottom section of the pipe. I have steamed ribs for a 25' Lyman with no real difficulty. As I remember it took about a half hour to get the 7/8" thick x 8' long Lyman ribs sufficiently flexible to install.

For safety's sake make sure everything is secure, you don't want boiling water, steam, or anything else getting loose on you. Also, be sure there are plenty of "leaks" built in. You don't want the steam to be able to build up pressure.

Your turkey fryer will generate all the steam you could want.

Cal,
No coil, isn't needed and yes she knew since I was going to need it anyway.

Volero, thanks yep, base is real sturdy and there will be leaks in the box. I can use PVC for the chines but the bottom and side planks will need to be about 8' wide or so.

Bob

Very nice! If I used mine, any wood I steamed would smell like Thankgiving. Is that such a bad thing?

ya know bob, I bet you could make rum with that. lol frog

How long will it steam before you need to add more water ?

AAARRRRGGG or at least some half way good grog!!

I think the cooling coil is just for making moon.. eh... fuel. looks really cool. kinda makes me want to bend some wood

Cooling coil, DUH now I get it!!! Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!!!!!!!!!!

Chuck, I'm not sure yet but it should be quite a few hours if I use the 30 Qt pictured.

Rick, nope, Thanksgiving sell is always good!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

Got it...good!

With the 5 gallon container I use, I will check after about two hours. I would guess there is still plenty of water left for probably another hour.

Well an update to steamer. I tried it out on a test piece for the vanity stool I'm making the Admiral. That didn't work but the steamer did, well with w few tweaks it's good. Don't use the thin wall PVC period! I knew it would get soft and I used a sacrificial piece. If you use PVC you have to use at least the schedule 40 thick wall stuff. It will get soft but the thin wall turns into a wet noodle. I had to squeeze it with some board and clamps to prevent it from collapsing flat!




After drying and no the board I was trying to steam bend didn't bend. I think it's too short.


I also found 3m 5200's arch nemesis, it's STEAM!! Didn't hold very well. Going to try epoxy glue next.


I made an actual steam box out of plywood but forgot to take a picture. Worked like a charm, now I just have to figure out a way to get those short boards to bend or just cut them thin and use the resorcinol like I did on the transom.

Bob

looking good bob, a friend of mine uses aluminum down spouts from eve gutters . seems to work good. greg

here's an old article on how to build a wood steamer from the 40's I found a while back.

Bob, maybe it's a good thing the vanity stool didn't work out. I don't know if insurance companies pay family members Schedule 80 PVC is also available. With my experiments for a transom cap using pvc and a heat gun we both know now what heat can do to the stuff.




Good info on 5200, did it melt or sorta just fall apart?

Shake, Nice! Wish I would have seen that 6 years ago when I was bending white oak like Bob is now. Being a guy you know it's going to be tried in the backyard just to see if it works. I can see it now... All I have to do is figure out what I'm going to tell my admiral why I need a 3" pipe