Bending Teak

[Bruce Ebling]

I am replacing the coaming boards on my Cape Dory 25D. They are 96" long X 10" wide and 3/4" thick. My problem is that I need to bend the board about 2 1/2" in to conform to the boat. The board is pretty stiff and I am unsure of whether the screws will hold it in place. The board also had a 4" notch cut into each end to allow the board to fit onto the deck. Is there a way to coax the board into place without using so much pressure?
Bruce Ebling
(newbie)

[ssor]

Bruce,
You asked this same question on the 27th and got one answer. Did you try the method suggested?

[Ross M]

Bruce

You might consider steaming your plank prior to bending.

I don't see anything about it in the FAQ ( WB Building & Repair FAQ Ver 2.5 ) but I know it is in the archives somewhere.

For the very best treatise I have read (including preparation of kiln-dryed stock) pick up a copy of Dan Danenberg's Runabout Woodworking

Ross

[Bob Cleek]

The question was bending TEAK, gents. Teak, she no benda so good. She no steema so good. She go "busta" ifa she benda too much. She weather REAL good and looka nice alla da time!

Try clamping the plank in place and then screwing. Don't release the clamps until all the screws are in. If your new strake has the same fastenings as the new, you should be okay.

[ 07-01-2005, 12:15 AM: Message edited by: Bob Cleek ]

[JimConlin]

If there's a notch cut out of the ends to go over the deck, i'd be concerned about splitting at that point and would consider driving a drift of, say 1/4" bronze rod (Jamestown) across the plank a couple of inches back from the notch. Drill from the bottom so it's hidden. Careful!

To the question of how to bend the plank, it helps that you have an example of a plank that was successfully bent. Certainly don't increase its thickness. Perform some tests- See what force it takes to bend the plank to the same curvature off the boat. Judge whether the force needed to keep the plank bent is within the range of the fastenings. If this is still troubling, someone will chime in here about steaming teak, about which I know nothing. The last fall-back is to resaw to get two 3/8" planks and laminate them. This gets expensive in materials and a PITA to boot.

Another idea- When it get time to apply your jog-ended beauty to the boat, it'll probably be necessary to keep it bent to fit it within the cockpit. To do this, clamp it to a 2x6 which has been sawn to (slightly more than) the curvature needed.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

What Cleek said. Beware of splitting from the notches at the ends.

[ssor]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JimConlin:
[QB]If there's a notch cut out of the ends to go over the deck, i'd be concerned about splitting at that point and would consider driving a drift of, say 1/4" bronze rod (Jamestown) across the plank a couple of inches back from the notch. Drill from the bottom so it's hidden. Careful!

Your local welding supply shop will carry silcon bronze rods in three foot lengths and sell it by the pound. Much cheaper than Jamestown.

[JimConlin]

Good idea.

[Chan]

Try soaking it in water for several days.

[Hughman]

Originally posted by Chan:
Try soaking it in water for several days.

amd using a heat gun on the saturated wood as you bend and fasten in place.

Chan, a belated welcome!

[Gary E]

Bruce,
If I were going to bend that board, I would first make a cardboard template of the curve it needs to fit and ohh by the way, do not cut the notches yet.

Take that template and transfer the curve to two as long as your teak boards 2x6's sawing the curve and then sanding them both at the same time with a belt sander to insure they are the same. If I could guess the spring back, I might cut that curve a little tighter, so that it over bends aprox 1/2 in on each end.

Now make several spacer blocks, thick enough so that the curved sides are aprox equal width overall to the width of your teak board. Lag screw this together, it needs to be strong.

Now you have a jig to bend the teak board to fit, this can be done with clamps, or a cable and winch that you would find on a boat trailer, anything that can grab on one end and pull while you have the other end clamped. If it takes steaming to do it, well, so beit.

After the board is set in the bent condition for some time so that it takes a set, release it from the jig and check aginst the template, re bend if needed.

When you install this to the boat you will find it requires less screw holding force to hold it in place if it is pre bent.

Make another template for cutting the notches.

[Paul Scheuer]

Hey ! This is a 2 1/2 " curve in 8 feet in 3/4 stock. It might be a little atiff, but it isn't going to break. I'd just make sure that it's clamped in place until all the screws are driven. Will the screws hold it ? Depends on how many screws. How many screws ? Maybe someone here with actual experience can commit to a schedule.

Oh, and I'd be very careful about assuming symetry. (DAMHIK)

[Gary E]

If ya dont like my method, datz ok, but you asked.

Figer the screw load yourself.

Good luck, with teak you will need it.

[Bob Cleek]

Like I said, if you use the same number of screws in roughly the same places as the original, (but not in the same holes... duh!) you should have no problem. As your bend isn't severe, you may be able to use the boat as your jig for clamping it in place. If you saved the old plank, you can use it as a pattern. Cut wide of the line and plane up to it, as there's always fitting to do.

[formerlyknownasprince]

I get the feeling Bruce is talking about bending in the other dimension ie the 10" direction, not the 3/4" direction.

We didn't even try bending in this dimension on Grantala. We have used 96" x 12" x 1" boards as the base stock to cut 5" wide boards. The "waste", or should I say offcuts are extensive from the bow area.

Ian

[Ken Hutchins]

Way too many negatives, a lot of boats have been planked in Teak which proves it can be bent, granted it won't bend as easily as Cedar or White Oak or Ash.