How long should I soak green oak frames before I get ready to install in boat

[Mackey]

Hi Everyone, I have cut up my green oak frames that have been wrapped up for about a year. The frames are 7/8"x 5/8x 8 foot long. I built a steam box and a water trough to put the frames in to soak. I am not sure how long I should keep them in the water trough before I put them in the steamer and install them in the boat.
The water trough is outside but we are still having temperatures into the low 20s at night and 40s in the day. I am also wondering if ice is a problem for the frames if the trough freezes. I could move the trough to my shop which rarely gets over 60 this time of year. One more question is do I soak only a few at a time in the trough before I put them in the steamer or since they are all cut up now, should I just soak them all ?

So many questions ! Any help would be appreciated.
Thx. Mac

[wizbang 13]

How long does one wait to rip them back out?

[nedL]

A lot would depend on how much the wood dried out. I have never “presoaked” wood before bending it. It also depends on how tight the bends will be that you need to make,
White oak,….. If I were to do it I would because I felt they were too dry I would go for at least a week. Just toss them all in at once. Warmer would be more desirable, but outside with some ice on top certainly isn’t going to hurt anything.

That’s just me.

[Toxophilite]

Whizbang doesn't like white oak and he has reasons not too. However it has been used for years, works, and that's what you have.
(Blk locust is particularly good.)

A simple google search would suggest 1-3 hours. Overnight or a few days should be good especially if you are then going to steam them.
I would keep them inside.

Now the more knowledgable will chime in and you will get real information

[willin woodworks]

Forget the soaking. Focus on the orientation of the grain with respect to the bend, consistent steam and how quickly you can the frames from the box to the work area and bent into place.
Do a couple dry runs with something akin to the frame. Where are your clamps? Do you have enough and the right size? Whats in the way? Whos doing what?

[neil.henderson]

Not sure about your oak, but I bent the gunwales onto Bella after chucking them in the local brackish creek for 2.5 weeks. They were about 60mm by 30mm and about 4.5 metres long (they were scarphed after bending. They bent on with no cracks or splintering noises, and no steam though I did steam the ribs.
Both gunwales & ribs were made of spotted gum (green cut). This probably doesn't help you at all but it seems a nice story................................

Regards Neil

[Dave Hadfield]

One other point which you probably already know -- you need live-steam into the box. Not whisps of vapour. A torrent of steam that is moving and penetrating and doing-things. A jet. Not what is supplied by a kitchen kettle.

And the box takes a while to heat-up and stop absorbing the water-vapour. So the hour-per-inch thing is fine, but not into a stone-cold dried-out box.

Sorry if I'm beating the obvious to death but long ago I could have benefited from these remarks.