Are those electric plank benders worth it?

[Spaceman Spiff]

For example, the one by Model Expo - is it a good buy? Useful or not? Thanks for your time?

[rtropp]

I think there are mixed feelings.  Some use them and like them, others not so much. 

 

When necessary, I use a plank bender that cuts a small notch on the inside of the plank to promote a clean bend.  it looks like pliers but has a triangular ridge, but does not have a very a sharp edge.  Of course you have to be careful not cut the plank into pieces.  It is a very gentle pressure that creates and indentation in the wood.  I only use it when wet bending does not get what I need or if I need small corrections to an existing bend.

 

For wet bending, I tend not to use heat if I can avoid it.  I build a bending jig that matches the curve I am looking for.  With clamps, I slowly bend the plank to fit the shape then let it dry.  It worked well for the bends and did a good job on the cap rail of the stern transom which is a right angle bend. 

 

We all have preferences for tools and methods that work for us.  My philosophy is to try it and if it doesn't fit my style, sell it on E-bay.

 

Richard

[Q A's Revenge]

If it's this one they seem a bit pricey for what looks like a soldering iron with a large head?

 

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS7205

[bogeygolpher]

I have been using my electric plank bender for over 20 years and would be lost without it.  I did buy a solid state soldering iron control unit to be able to adjust the temperature.  Over time i have accumulated a number of forms I use to control the shape and I have also managed to burn myself a number of times.  

 

Not only do I use it for bending, it is quite useful as an aid for setting the PVA glue quicker. For example, when planking, I will use soak the plank and use the bender and forms to approximate the shape I want.  I then coat the back of the plank with PVA as well as place some drops of CA on the frames or bulkheads where the plank will reside. Using the CA eliminates needing clamps or nails to hold it in place.  Once the plank is in place I then run the bender over it to heat up the plank and speed up the drying of the PVA and getting a good seam with the plank already in place.  Using that method there is no wait time between applying planks and if done carefully, it helps to eliminate a lot of the bulges and dips that seem to occur between planks.

[mtaylor]

I use a discarded curling iron that the Admiral no longer needed.  I clamp it into a vise and freehand, can do many complex shapes.. a few are even repeatable.

[HIPEXEC]

I was trying to bend Sapele, a dark hard wood. The bender only helped a little. I got plenty of spilts.

[Tadeusz43]

Hi,

Sometimes it helps to soak the wood in ammonia.
It is not pleasant but the end justifies the means.

 

Tadeusz

 

My models:

From kits

Vasa, HMS Victory, Le Solei Royale, Friesland

From scratch

HMS Warrior 1860, Esplanade, Grosse Yacht

Norman’s ship, HMS Speedy, La Royale

Peter von Danzig

Polacca XVII cent.

Current project:

SS Savannah 1818

[gjdale]

I have always found a steam iron (after soaking the planks) to be a very successful way of bending planks. Probably best not to use the Admiral's good iron though! These days I use a miniature travel steam iron - it works a treat.

[cdogg]

I thought I would never need one then I needed to bend some 2x2mm strips of walnut. I tried every method and finally had to buy the plank bender. Worked like a charm, I bought it off eBay for $20.

[Ulises Victoria]

I also use the hair curling thing. I have that electric plank bender also but prefer the hair curler.

[catopower]

I've used an electric plank bender for years. I don't know how anyone can NOT bend wood with it. I soak the plank a little, then use the plank bender and it heats the water in the wood to steam. And it does allow you to ben the wood in more than one direction and easily twist the wood too. I don't remember ever getting burned and never understood why anyone had problems with it.

 

Clare

[pirozzi]

It is like any other tool. It is a matter of preference as to how one does any task. If it works for you, then it is a good tool. If not, then it is not for you. Any tool is only as good as it is useful to the craftsman. I have been bending planks for 40 years and have done it many ways. The electric plank bender in my opinion is the most efficient for me. You have to use it properly and treat the wood before bending, but you can make complex bends and twists as well.

 

Vince P.

[marktiedens]

I have been using this electric plank bender for many years. It was made by Aeropiccola. It is basically a 50 watt soldering iron with a head shaped like a comma & an adjustable clamp so you can make the bend as tight as you need to.

 

 

/Mark

 

 

[testazyk]

I'm convinced that dry heat is best for bending planks and if you don't mind spending the money for an electric plank bender you won't regret it for convenience and effectiveness.  I've been using the Aeropiccola bender that Mark showed for 29 years and it's still serving me well.  I'd echo AVS Jerome's comment--don't grab it anywhere but on the handle!

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks for all of the answers!

[robnbill]

I too have been using the same bending iron as Mark and have had it for a very long time. I use it along side all of the other methods listed here. It really depends on what I am trying to do. You can get a very smooth bend in the wood using it and as bogeygolpher mentioned you can quickly get your planks attached to the hull without having to pin them. I also find it useful in setting something that it difficult to clamp. A small amount of CA and hit the strip with the iron.

 

It is not a perfect solution to everything. You can also overheat the wood, burn it, or burn the CA enough to keep it from adhering so it is certainly not a perfect one size fit's all solution. I have found alongside all the other methods, it is a good tool to have in the arsenal. Can you do without it, certainly, but you might find you do like using it.

[VonHoldinghausen]

Remember:

  Heat has been used for hundreds of years to bend wood for ship building purposes

 

Cheers!

[pirozzi]

I too have been using the same bending iron as Mark and have had it for a very long time. I use it along side all of the other methods listed here. It really depends on what I am trying to do. You can get a very smooth bend in the wood using it and as bogeygolpher mentioned you can quickly get your planks attached to the hull without having to pin them. I also find it useful in setting something that it difficult to clamp. A small amount of CA and hit the strip with the iron.

 

It is not a perfect solution to everything. You can also overheat the wood, burn it, or burn the CA enough to keep it from adhering so it is certainly not a perfect one size fit's all solution. I have found alongside all the other methods, it is a good tool to have in the arsenal. Can you do without it, certainly, but you might find you do like using it.

Well, I learned something new! This is a great site.  I have that plank bender too and use it for bending, but what I great idea for setting CA glue. I always have to hold the piece down and use a hairdryer to set the glue. Using the plank bender to apply pressure and heat is a great idea!

 

Thanks, Robnbill

 

Vince P.

[ChrisLBren]

They are necessary - I'm working on the fenders and chess trees on my Confederacy - to get the types of bends necessary for a flush fit to the hull with a hardwood - its really handy.  

Chris

[Donny]

Thanks for all the info ... learning fast!

[Fredjudex]

The electric plank bender is, in my opinion, very dangerous. Mine arrived with no instructions; however, I used it fairly successfully but on two ocassions I burned myself quite severely resulting in blistered skin and a scarred finger. I have decided that it is too dangerous to use and will scrap it. It really needs to be rebuilt with some form of protection against inadvertent contact with the bare metal parts or, at the very least, clear a warning about the danger of burning.

[tmj]

On 6/28/2014 at 12:46 PM, HIPEXEC said:

I was trying to bend Sapele, a dark hard wood. The bender only helped a little. I got plenty of spilts.

The trick to bending wood with few failures is to 'compression' bend it by tightly trapping the ends of what is to be bent within a thin metal, or leather 'backing strap' before bending. Wood fibers do not stretch, they 'tear' if you try to stretch them. That tearing is what lifts splinters and causes ugly cracks and failures. Go to YouTube and search for "Engels Coach Shop" and search his site for steam bending woods. He works with large timbers, in full scale. He's not a modeler... but the bending principles are the same for any sized timbers, even our small models! You might also want to look into violin making, on YouTube. Violin makers use the same principles of bending thin wood, and they typically don't use steam at all, only heat from great big ol' soldering irons used by old time roofers for soldering vents and other large sheet metal items.   

Bear in mind that heat is what most effectively bends woods. When wood is steamed, it is 'not' the water that softens the lignin's of the wood, making it pliable. It is the heat! The water in steam is simply an efficient and excellent 'carrier' of that needful heat! 

         

[Dr PR]

I saw this little Mini Iron II (Clover No. 9100) "quilting iron" recommended as a plank bender in another thread. It is sold as a small iron for use with quilt making. However, it is basically a small 40 Watt soldering iron with a special tip.

 

 

I have used it many times now and can recommend it as an inexpensive and versatile model making tool.

 

 

The picture on the left shows the tool being used to bend a plank that is already clamped in place on a hull. The photo on the right shows it being used to heat the bend into a plank that has been twisted between two clamps.

 

In both cases brushed some water onto the surface of the plank and then heated it with the iron that was set to the highest heat setting (it has low, medium and high settings). It is the heat that sets the bend into the fibers in the wood. All the water is for it to conduct the heat into the wood.

 

But this is not the only use for this tool. It is also useful for making sails. I used it to iron the sail material smooth - it is not nearly as bulky as a large fabric iron. I also used it to set the glue when adding tablings, linings and bolt ropes to silkspan sails. The low heat setting is safe to use with silkspan.

 

And who knows? Maybe some day you (or someone you know) will want to make a quilt.

Edited November 17 by Dr PR

[Bob Fraser]

9 hours ago, Dr PR said:

Mini Iron II (Clover No. 9100) "quilting iron"

Thanks for the recommendation- - I've just added this to my Amazon list.  Not just for me though, and hopefully get some Brownie points!😁

Admiral does needle felting, and uses hard beeswax on her models, particularly mushroom tops, to help flatten the fibres.  After rubbing it on she then irons them.  Also does this on the traditional jointed heirloom teddy bears felted noses to give them a slight shine.