peter wrote:
On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 08:06:46 -0400, Glenn Ashmore
wrote

Mahogany is a little harder to steam bend than white oak but still
doable. For some reason the mahogany I bent turned a little dark and
required a lot of sanding to get the color back. The problem with both
is that you have to keep the varnish in very good condition. If any
water gets to the wood it will turn black.

After a lot of anguish I settled for teak but it put a big dent in the
construction kitty.


Oxalic acid will get rid of any black if it goes that way, at least on
the mahogany. Oak is a bit more difficult.
I'm surprised that you find oak harder to bend than mahogany, I find
it the other way around, but usually I'm bending european oak, the
grain is a bit wilder. A lot depends on if it was kiln dried and the
speed of kilning.
I've given up trying to bend kiln dried oak now, it's an expensive
way of making firewood.

No, I said mahogany is harder to steam bend. I can turn air dried white
oak to rubber given enough steam. :-) I try to avoid kiln dried white
oak but it is about twice as expensive as air dried around here. I did
luck up on a few planks of green white oak and dried it in the solar
kill on a 90 day program. It bent great but it is rare around South
Georgia. Mostly red.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com