I Test Viral Bent Wood Table
Summary
TLDRThe video script details an ambitious woodworking project undertaken by an enthusiast who, inspired by a video from the Netherlands, decides to create a double bent live edge desk from a massive slab of wood. The project involves various stages, including finding the center of the slab, cutting it to size, and flattening it—a task that proves more challenging than expected due to the slab's size and curvature. The woodworker then constructs a custom steam bending box, a new experience for him, and after several trials and errors, manages to bend the slab to the desired shape. Despite facing issues such as blade deflection, uneven thickness, and the complexity of the bends, the project progresses. The desk's assembly involves careful measurements, clamping, and gluing, with the woodworker expressing concerns about maintaining a 90-degree angle and achieving a perfect square shape. The process is fraught with tension, and the final outcome reveals a desk with a unique, albeit imperfect, live edge, reflecting the woodworker's journey and the inherent challenges of such an ambitious live edge woodworking endeavor.
Takeaways
- 📚 The video is about a woodworking project involving bending a live edge slab into a double bent desk.
- 💡 The project is inspired by a video from the Netherlands and the excitement is compared to a youthful discovery.
- 🔪 The desk is planned to be 6 feet long, made from a 14-foot long slab that cost around $2,000.
- 🛠️ The process involves curve cuts on a large scale, which the woodworker has not previously attempted.
- 🌡️ Steam bending is a key technique used, requiring the construction of a custom steam bending box.
- 🎨 The woodworker chose the slabs for their uniformity and suitability for a desktop.
- ⚖️ The slab needed to be flattened, which proved to be more difficult than anticipated due to its size.
- 📏 Finding the center line of the slab is crucial for the construction process and serves as a reference point.
- 🔩 Clamps and squares are used extensively to ensure the slab maintains its shape and bends accurately.
- 💥 A mishap occurs where the table breaks, prompting a discussion on how to fix it.
- 📈 The final product has some imperfections, such as not being perfectly square or 90 degrees, but the woodworker is still pleased with the outcome.
Q & A
What was the woodworker's initial excitement about the video from the Netherlands?
-The woodworker was excited about the video showing a technique for bending a live edge slab, which he had not seen before and was eager to try.
What is a live edge slab?
-A live edge slab is a piece of wood that has one or more edges that have not been squared or smoothed, preserving the natural edge of the wood.
What was the woodworker's plan for the 14-foot long slab he had in his shop?
-The woodworker planned to create a 6-foot long double bent live edge desk from the 14-foot long slab.
Why did the woodworker need to build a custom steam bending box?
-The woodworker needed to build a custom steam bending box because he had never done curve cuts on such a large scale and required a specific setup to achieve the desired bend for his project.
What was the woodworker's concern when he started to flatten the slab?
-The woodworker was concerned that the slab was larger and more difficult to flatten than he had anticipated, which could affect the outcome of the project.
What was the woodworker's strategy for flattening the slab?
-The woodworker planned to clean up the edges of the slab and then use a CNC machine to flatten it, figuring out the necessary measurements after it was flat.
Why did the woodworker decide to use one slab over the other?
-The woodworker chose one slab over the other because it was slightly straighter and flatter, which would make it easier to work with for his project.
What was the woodworker's approach to cutting the curves for the bent desk?
-The woodworker planned to find the center of the slab, mark the curve depth, cut the curves, and then build a jig to ensure the cuts were made at 90° and to steam the part for bending.
What was the woodworker's concern when he discovered the slab was not as thick as he expected?
-The woodworker was concerned that the slab's varying thickness would affect the depth of his cuts and the overall consistency of the bends.
What was the woodworker's strategy for steaming the slab?
-The woodworker built a custom steam box, used blankets to retain steam, and planned to let the slab sit for an hour per inch of thickness to achieve the bend.
What was the woodworker's biggest concern during the bending process?
-The woodworker's biggest concern was achieving a 90-degree angle and maintaining the shape and structure of the desk during the bending process.
Outlines
🤩 Excitement Over Live Edge Woodworking
The speaker expresses great excitement over a video of live edge slab bending in the Netherlands, comparing it to the thrill of discovering a faster way to drink beer in their youth. They discuss their eagerness to apply new woodworking techniques, particularly to live edge projects. The speaker has purchased a 14-foot long, 3T wide slab for $2,000 with the ambitious plan to create a 6-foot long double bent live edge desk. They acknowledge the high risk of failure due to the scale of the project and the complexity of the curve cuts involved. The process includes finding the center of the slab, cutting it to rough size, and flattening it, which is more challenging due to the size of the slab. The speaker also mentions building a custom steam bending box, a new endeavor for them.
🛠️ Crafting a Custom Steam Bending Box
The speaker details the process of building a custom steam bending box for their live edge desk project. They discuss the need for a curve spacing calculator found online and the importance of testing the concept. The video shows the construction of the bending box using construction-grade material, including cutting bottom and top plates and strips to build the structure. The speaker also talks about their technique of 'winging it' due to the unique size of the slab. They mention the use of clamps and squares to ensure a 90-degree angle during the bending process and express concern about potential blade deflection and inaccuracies in their measurements. Despite the challenges, they manage to bend the wood to their satisfaction.
🔨 Steam Bending and Clamping Challenges
The speaker describes the challenges faced while steam bending the live edge slab and securing it with clamps. They discuss the need for urgency in the process to prevent the wood from drying out too quickly. The process includes waiting for the wood to dry, which allows it to retain its bent shape. The speaker also talks about their concerns regarding the potential for the wood to spring back to its original shape, the difficulty of clamping the twisted slab, and the need for a game plan for gluing and addressing the other side of the slab. They mention the use of custom squares and clamping calls to ensure the slab maintains its shape and express their apprehensions about the process.
🔍 Drying and Preparing for Gluing
The speaker talks about letting the bent wood dry overnight and their plans for gluing the next day. They discuss the intent behind using their limited knowledge of steam bending in a challenging situation and the expected spring back of the wood. They also mention the need to address the twisting of the wood and the possibility of compensating for it during the glue-up process. The speaker highlights the difficulty of the second side of bending, the need for more steam, and the adjustments made to ensure a better outcome. They also discuss the use of a laser level to check the flatness of the slab and the decision to skim the bottom for leveling.
📏 Squaring Up and Gluing the Slab
The speaker details the process of squaring up the slab and preparing it for gluing. They discuss their concerns about the legs of the table twisting and the potential need to find a reference for squareness. The process includes marking the center line on both slabs, clamping the slab to the table, and using a tracksaw to make adjustments. The speaker also talks about their plan to use a gallon of tygon 2 dark for gluing and the challenges they faced during the gluing process. They express their concerns about the table potentially exploding open once the glue dries and the need to wait and see the results the next day.
🛠️ Final Assembly and Addressing a Mistake
The speaker describes the final assembly of the live edge desk and the mistake that occurred during the process. They discuss the need to address the uneven cuts on the base and the decision to use a laser level to ensure the table is level. The process includes flipping the table upright, clamping it to the table, and using a tracksaw to make further adjustments. The speaker also talks about the unfortunate event of the table becoming one-sided due to a mistake and their decision to involve the audience in deciding how to fix the issue. They present two options: using the Stitch zipper inlay method or pouring epoxy to repair the broken part. The speaker encourages audience participation in choosing the fix and asks for suggestions on what to try next.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Live Edge Slab
💡Steam Bending
💡CNC Machine
💡Epoxy Resin
💡Custom Steam Bending Box
💡Curve Cuts
💡Slab Flattening
💡Discord
💡Stitch Inlay Method
💡Laser Level
💡Stand-Up Desk
Highlights
Excitement over a new woodworking technique involving bending a live edge slab in the Netherlands.
Ambitious project to create a 6-foot long double bent live edge desk from a 14-foot slab costing around $2,000.
The challenge of curve cuts on a larger scale and the potential need to build a custom steam bending box.
Selection of two enormous slabs for the project based on uniformity and suitability for a desktop.
Process of finding the center of the slab as a reference point for further cutting and shaping.
Unanticipated need to flatten the entire slab, which proved to be more difficult than expected.
Use of a CNC machine to help flatten the slab and achieve the desired dimensions.
Building a custom steam bending box with construction grade material to accommodate the massive slab.
Innovative approach to curve marking and calculating the depth of the curve for the bending process.
Utilization of internet resources, such as a curve spacing calculator, to assist in the design process.
The use of clamps and squares to ensure a 90-degree angle during the bending process.
Discovery of a mistake in the curve cuts and the decision to correct it for a better fit.
Steam bending the slab with an improvised method, using blankets and steam to achieve the desired bend.
Addressing the issue of the slab springing back after steam bending by planning to laminate and glue the pieces.
The realization that the initial steam bending process may have been flawed due to a miscalculation with the blade thickness.
Drying the bent slab overnight to set its shape before proceeding with the next steps.
Gluing the slabs together using a gallon of Titebond 2 dark and ensuring a proper bond for structural integrity.
Post-gluing concerns about the slabs maintaining their shape and the potential need for additional clamping.
The final reveal of the completed live edge desk, despite challenges, showcasing a unique piece of furniture.
Transcripts
thousands of you have been sending me
this video of these guys in the
Netherlands bending a Live Edge slab I
don't think I've been this excited since
I was 18 years old and discovered that
you can drink beer Faster by shotgunning
it and because I'm always looking for
new woodworking techniques particularly
with anything dealing Live Edge I knew
that of every test I've ever done on
this channel that this one in particular
was calling my name instead of doing
like a tiny little table we're going to
shoot the moon on this one I've got a 14
plus foot long slab that's about 3T wide
sitting in the other side of the shop
that I paid about $2,000 for and we're
going to do a 6 foot long double bent
Live Edge desk out of it and this should
get ridiculous so the likeliness of me
screwing this sucker up is is probably
higher than normal you know I've never
done curve cuts on this scale that could
get super squirely and then it looks
like in the video these guys are steam
bending it and I think I have to build a
custom steam bending box to make this
work which is also something I've never
done this is going to be great
potentially the best thing I've ever
made so I ordered two slabs and they're
huge I mean look at these they're
enormous that's a huge I chose
these because they're uniform one and
two it'll be a pretty good siiz desktop
right at the gate I don't know which one
I'm going to use quite yet but let's get
these up and then on some horses and
look at them I think I think that one's
a little bit straighter is you blind and
I I have this piece here so let's use
this
guy now got to pick it up and move it
you a biging
[Music]
fing enormous like I do with every slab
to get started I got to find Center
first that'll give me reference Mark to
then start like cutting things down this
will be almost the exact same kind of
breakdown and process I use in my master
class on live Edge and epoxy tables so
if you want to learn more about doing
some stuff like this and where I get all
my knowledge and give you guys a $50
discount just from watching this video
I'll have the link right here on screen
and the code will be down below but this
Center Line is going to be my rough
gauge on how I'm going to build like
pretty much the whole table it's
important to start with that now that
doesn't have to be perfect it does help
if you are next thing for this I want to
cut it to rough size I'm pretty tall so
we're going to need to do 32 in size so
the kicker here is that I don't know
like whatever this measurement is it
could be 12 it could be 20 in my eyes I
just have no idea looks like we just
need to flatten the whole slab wasn't
anticipating that I thought we'd be able
to cut it down to a more manageable size
when things are larger they're
considerably more difficult to flatten
but I guess it kind of is what it is I'm
going to clean up these edges a little
bit and then we'll get this sucker on
the CNC I guess we'll figure that math
out after it's flat so as it stands this
will be the second largest slab we've
ever
flattened you're you're
aome I love my floor I'm ready to get
rid of the whole thing just make
everyone suffer and have shin splints
going to his spine out of his
ass see I can see it's humped here here
like this thing has to be perfectly flat
since we have it even though the other
side I don't like the look of it as much
we're going to go check that one see if
it's got less of a hump damn it it's
considerably flatter hey Chris before
you do anything else come here positive
work environment this one's pretty flat
except for the ends there's no big hump
in the middle this one does seem better
than the other one okay let's take that
one off of the
CNC put this one on
typical one two let's uh put this one on
the CNC now
so this side is so high I'm going to try
to cut some of it out and then kind of
gauge how much wobble we have in it even
hanging it off a little bit it's it's
considerably less than what it was just
see how much see how high this thing is
still we're like an inch off the table
here I guess what we're going to do is
start adding some shims I'll just cut
that side as well and then maybe that'll
help take a little bit of that play out
of it I can already tilt it if I just
jerk it off I mean sand it I mean c it
down a little bit what did he say it
might help not be so atic and if you
look it up in the brochure this is
exactly how the neelson wants you're
using their hand BLS eat the dick thanks
for the help here for it still not great
start by flattening those parts and this
thing's almost 3 in thick so we've got a
whole inch to play with and it's 2 and 2
and 3/4 as long as we're like 2 in inch
and 3/4 it'll still look
badass we're flat or as flat as I want
to go we're right around 2 in which I
think is pretty good that's what she
said now for all the crazy got to
find Center going to figure out where
I'm going to do the curve marks we need
to figure out the depth of the curve how
I'm going to cut those and then build a
jig in order to do it at 90° perfectly
and also build a box in order to steam
the part we're bending yay okay so we
need to prove this concept and by that I
mean we've got something the internet
told us should work and you can get this
curve spacing calculator by Googling it
we put all of our stuff in test it on
here to do so this might as well be
written in Spanish they're using 30
seconds which which is just great the
reality is I don't think that those 30
seconds are going to make a huge
difference you can have a little bit of
Blade deflection in your cut and that in
itself will deflect it by 30 second from
time to time so like I guess we'll see
this thing has like no play in it let's
throw a clamp on see if that
helps okay it's bending twisting the
crazy I've got shooting out vibes going
on right now Jo what do you think if it
does shoot out at least I feel super
safe and I look like an absolute stud
Rock in my shop Shades if you want to
support the channel grab yourself a pair
we've sold thousands and people are
absolutely loving them like this dude
and this person so check them out shop
Shades available now shipping now
appreciate all of you that have already
bought a pair but buy more we need that
outside to outside to be 90 and you can
see here it's
not did I do all the cuts at ass I
missed a cut oh no damn it if it's just
one cut that'd be nice cuz then we know
the math now we just got to figure out
how to fix the Gap problem back to the
tabletop for that last cut so I'm way
too impatient for water to boil even
though it's boiling and so I went ahead
and I redid everything we actually
cracked the wood on the bottom but look
at this they're both coming in at 90
that sweep just doesn't look like it but
that extra cut did
it we figured out where the curves are
going to start they're going to end
we're going 33 in off of the center line
and then we'll drop both sides off and
from the looks of it I think I could
just keep the cuts simple the bottom box
will be 48 in so I'm going to do 48 the
width of our curvs is little under 19 in
according to this math so I'll go 24 so
we can steam a little bit on the outside
more or less I'm just going to take some
construction grade material I'm going to
cut that bottom plate I'm going to cut
the same thing for a top cover and then
cut some strips and build a bottom this
should go pretty
quick my construction technique for this
is simply wing it because if you look at
any steam bending boxes they're all made
for like strips of stuff not massive
slabs so I think by just building a box
should get me most of the way there like
that we're not going to be able to get
like perfect Gap filling but we wrap it
in blankets and the steam should kind of
stay on that bottom piece once this is
flipped over and I should be able to cap
it so all right the next phase is let's
open up the steamer and see what kind of
hole we need to make the old steamer the
Amazon special here I'm actually excited
cuz I've really wanted to make make
myself a fly fishing net using steam
bending for a long time since I bought
this for this project if I ever give
free time what the hell is that I can do
that cut a hole I'm going to just guess
and do it in the
center what the
hell there we go I'm pretty confident in
like all of the random crap I've done so
far you just watched me make some giant
90° clamping calls Chris is printing out
internal clamping calls so once we get
it up we'll be able to put this and then
clamp this to these so we can make sure
we're perfectly 90 and it'll have enough
room for that radius so we'll be able to
get close to 90 as possible that's my
biggest
concern just be a bear okay I marked all
my lines they're hard to see on camera
but I marked them with a knife that way
they didn't rub off and it let me get a
little bit more precise I'll use a
pencil on my cut line and then I'll put
my track right on the cut line and then
make sure I'm taking the line every
single time and that should get me
pretty darn close to Center this one's
not for the faint of heart I am shaking
inside I've got the depth set locked in
place our first curve cut this is about
all I can do nothing left to do
it gosh it just it just has me so
concerned I got to do it again I just
got to check the depth again I know I
literally just said it but I don't know
might have bumped something
316 let's go you little little you
little
boy now I cut
one before I get too far I'm a bit
worried if that's 2 in overall it should
be two and I think 136 deep I think I'm
a bit shallow and I think that's because
this end isn't as thick as two damn it
cuz I'm looking at this Edge and I'm was
like man that's about a/ in and I'm off
that distance see that but the problem
is what's it going to be on this side
damel Damu inconsistencies I'm like I'm
like very close to just messing
everything up like really easily okay
right here this slab is 1.96 which is
perfect exactly what we should be at and
right here we're at 2.03 my concern
about I mean if you look at this edge
here this is a 1. 1825 we're like 1 and
78 here and we're like one in I don't
know 31 30 seconds here so at this point
I'm not as concerned as it going too
deep so I need to be 1.
18125 that's 1 and
1316 and we're supposed to be 316
according to our thing there you know
one good thing about festal is those are
e so if I just come down one
[Music]
more okay I'm I'm good with that we're
going to go 1 and 3/4 cuz once I get
over to here and it material is a little
bit thicker will be perfect got to send
it we're going to start steaming one
side no I have no clue if this is going
to work cuz we have yet to put Steam in
the box so those guys had blankets over
top of it for the sake of what we're
doing if we just kind of like stuff the
blankets around it I don't know I'm
making it up as iing go guys give me
some confidence we're only a bunch of
grown men
here we're going to let this sit says an
hour per inch I don't think we got to go
that long we'll probably go just an hour
we'll pop it open and get ready to bend
it I've got some custom squares Chris
made some custom clamping calls now we
wait and see how done we actually
are nothing's like pissing out it's been
an hour it's pissing out over there just
as you said that it wasn't doing this
like 10 minutes I mean these are look at
these look at this steam hopefully that
helped we just put this on there for
weight if if you watch the channel you
know I basically said that this thing is
a paper weight it's hot be
careful um we want to be pretty quick
here so we need the square calls also
probably should be closer to the end of
the table Yeah Chris you can pick it up
and then I can move the table up and we
can slide it off and bend her up sounds
good these need to dry so we can do it
again that one's wet this the first I've
never seen a steamy slap don't burn
yourself watch your face
interesting interesting I don't know if
that's like the chemicals coming out of
the plywood or what the situation is but
it's not as bendy as I was thinking it's
going to should would be this sucks okay
let's um yeah we do got to try to send
it oh boy we got to go we got to go pick
that up it all the way to the end with
the box with the box there you go okay
you grab the box I got the
slab okay oh
mother where's the squares ah clamp that
all right yeah I need you to clamp it to
the table the slab to the table use the
table
clamps and then we got we got to
hurry so they're
longer so you can grab clamp the one on
that side Chris is in full panic mode
having no idea what he's doing you can
put a clamp on without the call on the
front far side of the bottom clamp this
is like as far as it's going Joe I need
you to grab another big Square hey pull
come here bud Chris is obsessed with
theing call the Call's not going to work
as well well the call is going to it's
not you need
both okay grab this help them we going
to get all this clamped I can see
why there's so many dudes in the
video bullet the squ what's going on
talk to me is it not going up is it
going up anyone it's going up
anyone I think somehow the math got
messed up on this thing cuz it's like
not
going we're losing time we got to be
faster urgency I know both of you don't
like the Urgent it's hard for both of
you in tandem clamp there we go hold up
hold up okay good we're twisted so that
I'm my biggest fears are coming true
probably needed more Steam
where are the rest of our big body
squeeze
clamps I wanted that outside piece in
there this is
insane here's my butthole hold on I got
this clamp's going to cut my leg off let
go
Chris it's kind ofing working it's kind
of working why'd you both get on the
same side you
goobers it's like barely out I don't
know if there's much as all cuz we T
touching all on this interior on both
sides also this is just for drying we
got to glue it tomorrow now I had this
Epiphany let's hear it yeah we needed it
to be a 8 in Blade it was it was 0 or
like 108 so it was a little shorten that
compounds against 20 something Cuts I
will say this Chris I asked you to
measure I did and I told you the
measurement and you said it was the same
as the table saw yeah it is well the
table saw was right yeah but that
calculation count for a 0.125 thickness
blade is our tabletop blade not 0.125
point I told you that you didn't tell me
yeah I did
.18 this will work so I'm I'm fine with
it my butt holes in my throat so we're
going to let this thing dry overnight
we'll come back tomorrow get a game plan
for gluing and also do the other side
got to be honest though for a complete
test and just shooting the moon not bad
we broke all of our calls so we're going
to glue those up double Lam them for
tomorrow's but so far so good okay
Moment of Truth Now the intent here
don't forget is I'm using my lack of
knowledge for steam bending and then
applying it to a ridiculous circumstance