How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Alex van de Wetering]

Lovely work Jordan! It's always great to see what creative ideas one comes up with to get stuff to look the way that it should.

Alex

[Bob Carriere]

Most hard wood will bend once steamed but some are better than others for ease of bending and strength.

The best is Black Ash or Brown Ash which grows in wet ground areas. Used extensively in basket making. Brown ash was also used as a poor man oak in the early 1900 when Oak was harder to come buy.

White Ash would come as a close second as well as White Oak.

The reason the above wood bends easier is in the physical structure of the growth rings. Looking at a close up of the growth rings one will see a very dense ring followed by a more open ring structure reflecting the wet early growth compared to late Summer. These kind of woods are referred to as open grain compared to maple, which will also bend but not as easy, which is a very tight grained wood.

The different layers in the growth rings allows the wood to stretch and give to some extent as long as it is wet.

For example Brown ash, absolutely knot free, as to be worked green for best results. That means a fresh cut log as to to be kept soaking wet until worked. A long plastic sewer pipe is ideal. Having the wood cut as "quarter sawn" allows the grain to be all flat and parallel to the bend. Adding a cup of Fleecy or Bounce to the soaking water will increase the wetness of the water and facilitate deeper penetration.

Wet Quarter sawn Brown ash, in one inch wide boards, are beaten with a two pound hammer over a log..... as the ash is beaten, the water logged wood squeezes the water with such force that every single growth ring will separate from one another giving you one inch wide splints for basket weaving.

The only other wood similar is the sassafras.

Once dried any of the above wood will retain its curved shape and can be glued in layers for greater strength.

........ my wife learned to be a basket weaver from native Canadian indians and most of these tricks were passed on to her by helders from Cape Breton Island.

Cheers

[JoãoBoscoBarbosa]

Hi Jordan,

Good work and I need reproduction this piece, then I need a information about the job.

How many the dimension of Oak strips: Width, lenght and tickness?

You use the vapor or only water? if vapor how many the temperature and time?

How many the dimension after cut the taper on the ring to fit the slope of the roof?

[Jordan Baker]

Both doors are now finished and installed. They got NOS bakelight knobs for the release handles. Ive also installed NOS mirror arms and mirrors.

Hopefully tomorrow Fastenal calls to let me know my latest order arrived. Then I can get the roof hip ring installed.

The last picture is showing a simple copper backer for welding up some of the rust holes. The larger purpose made one I have from Harbour Freight didn't fit. This one was made from simple 1/2" copper tube flattened out and bent to shape.

Im really happy with how much I managed to get done this season.

[RHClarke]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

...Hopefully tomorrow Fastenal calls to let me know my latest order arrived. Then I can get the roof hip ring installed.

What goodies does Fastenal have that apply to the hip ring installation?

[Jordan Baker]

1/4"-20 counter sunk flat head slot screws in various lengths and any qty I want and lastly much cheaper then the hardware stores who don't carry that size anymore........and breath.

It's frustrating for me because when I bought my hip ring years ago from Andre at an OMVA swap meet it came with all of the original screws in usable condition. Stupid me never secured them and over the past 8 years and a couple of moves I only had two left.

The only other thing I need to make is to cut the sections of the cloth tape that fits between all the pieces.

[RHClarke]

My 45 HUP hip ring was secured with hex head 1/4 in bolts. I have no idea if they were original or not, but I bought modern versions of them for my newly delivered JB Hip Ring. I still have not fitted the ring as things are kind of hectic around here with a family member taking residence in a local hospital. I can tell you that I am eagerly anticipating my next visit to the Hammond Barn.

Good luck with the remainder of your project!