09.22.07
Steam Bending for Yurt Making
Yurt, tent-like structures popular with in many parts of the world including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakh and with the Native American Indians is becoming quite popular and fashionable in UK recently.
Yurts and its not too distant cousin Tipis are used for various purposes ranging from storytelling venue to outbuilding.
Describing Yurt building in simplistic form, its is made from wood and covering usually tarpaulin and sometime felts. The wooding part of Yurt making is one of the most fascinating parts. Different kinds of woods can be used, ash wood is quite popular with Yurt makers.
Ash wood is steam bend by placing prepared ash into steam box which is attached to a drum of boiling water. The wood is left in for an hour per inch of thickness of timber.
When the timber is ready, it is removed and placed onto a former upon which it sets into the shape required.
For wood to bend, it has to reach 100 C at which point the lignum in the wood becomes pliable – steaming is the best medium to achieve this and in doing so also forces out the natural sugars and once removed from the steam leaves the timber effectively seasoned.