Steam bending question

[Mike1950]

Don't know much about steam bending except observation. There is a drum making company here that is unusual in that their drum bodies are of solid, dry wood. They cut to shape and thickness and put a scarf joint on the ends. Then put into a steam box and then bend into a full circle - intense. Every once in a while one cracks. I'm there occassionally buying their scrap - already dry, resawn, milled and sanded thin and sometimes purdy figure. I used to try to get their cracked pieces and they seemed usable - particularly some birdseye maple they had. Lil Mikey thought simple process of soaking the board and putting a heavy weight on it to straighten it. Wrong bucko! I eventually put a couple of anvils on it and it did not straighten! Whatever details they do, they do it right! Anybody needing any slightly curved birdseye maple?

How thin?

 

[Mike Hill]

Have not measured it, but if memory is correct - maybe 3/8". But it does differ with the different types drums they make and the sound they want to make. Thicker wood gives a higher fundamental tone as opposed to the thinner with a lower fundamental tone. Some are up to 1' thick.

Ohh and they use POWER to do the bending after the steam!!!