white oak rim fabrication

[peter havriluk]

I'm about to bend my first oak rims. I'd love to be offered some comments on experiences, as in how thick, any cupping problems and if so, cupping resolution.

Thanks!

[John Parchem]

I never worked with oak. For a non cutaway, I bend everything at .080". With a cutaway, I scrape the from just past (toward top) the waist to the upper bout end to around .070".

[Carl Dickinson]

Sorry, I didn't keep notes but recall I sanded to .08" or so. Sandwich for the bender was slat/wet paper/side/wet paper/slat/blanket/slat. I dip the brown wrapping paper quickly through a tray of water and squeegee it off on the edge of a workbench. It is not wrapped around the side so steam easily escapes. Quick spray of windex on the side too. I start cranking down the waist as soon as I see steam, leaving a little to go, then upper/lower bouts, then finish off the waist. I don't have good heat controls so it sometime goes up to 325F, but I use a router control to try to hold it around 295/300 for 10 minutes and usually overnight cool down. I haven't noticed cupping as a problem, but maybe I'm just sloppy about details.

[peter havriluk]

Thanks, folks. Carl's parameters are what I've used on other bends. Looks like I'm still in the game. The only difference in bending is that I've taken Ken's advice and bent the waist on a pipe before putting the now-v-shaped side in the bender. The time and temperature (thanks, Kevin!) and slat sandwich are what I use, and .080" thickness is routinely what I use, too.