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: *******

: Mike is correct about the 'strength/stiffness' issue.
: I have used both laminated (two layers only, over a curved form,
: glued with epoxy) and solid(heat-bent) sides in acoustic
: guitars.
: At the same thickness, the laminated side is much, much stiffer
: than the heat-bent side.

: For thicker curved beams (too thick to bend? masik?) a laminated
: beam will always be stronger than a sawn one with short grain,
: or a steam-bent beam. Of course, in a kayak the thicker deck
: beams aren't near their breaking point, I think.
: Steam-bent frames in sailboats have provided steady work for
: restorers/repairers for years, laminated beams: not so much.

: For SOF boats, steam-bending has the advantage of speed over making
: many laminating forms and I think it makes sense there.

: Cheers
: John

Interesting. I'd never given it any thought until reading this thread. I compared some laminated and unlaminated pine using a spring balance and found no significant difference.

Therefore the steamed wood must be weaker than either the laminated or solid wood. That could be due to the wood fibers collapsing on the inside of the bend, so they are easier to straighten again. I wonder if a a steamed frame is easier to straighten than to make it bend more sharply.

Perhaps a laminated member can have a smaller cross-section than its steamed counterpart. Could be of interest to those who are passionate about light weight . . .