: Heat gun works well on strips too. There's usually enough moisture in the
: wood that the dry heat gun works locally just like a steamer.

: Bill H.

Bill,
I'm not sure any moisture is necessary to bend the thin wood strips we use.

Most people think of steam bending when wood bending is mentioned.
I've heard a lot of people talk about soaking wood before trying to bend it,
not just using steam.

I believe the heat is what is important and that water, in the form of steam,
is a good conductor of the heat, so steam is needed in larger wood sections to
transmit the heat for bending.

I've sent off this question to Dr. Bruce Hoadley, Professor of Wood Technology
at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, the author of the book,
"Understanding Wood, a Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology" which I highly
recommend.

The great thing about using the heat gun to bend is you can glue-up immediately
because the wood stays dry.

I'll let you know what I hear from Dr. Hoadley.

Rob