As you might have guessed, I need to fit some new skirting boards into a bay (curved) window. They're oak. I've been referenced this http://www.ukoakdoors.co.uk/articles/13 ... window/and told to follow the jig and water method (sixth paragraph) - for those who don't know and can't be bothered to look; it basically involves wetting the wood and increasing pressure on the middle of it over a week until it's bent.

Is this a good way of doing this? The article mentions it potentially causing a V shape but doesn't seem to say how to stop this. Will it even work?

I've had a search online and could only see one other mention of this method...

Seems a bit too easy to be true!

I dont know wether this is of any help but, my brother in law builds boats and repairs, (this is his hobby) he is making some at present to scale, I gave him some 100mm x 100mm oak which he cut down to thin strips, to form the bends on the hull he rigged up a length of soil pipe with a wall paper steamer attached to the bottom of pipe, ( pipe fixed upright to his work bench.
This allowed him to bend the timber into position, and stayed in position.
He has also soaked the wood in water, then ran a blow lamp over, when its steaming bend it into place.

I did something similar as the method shown in the link (you need to put a space after "window" btw).

From a sacrificial sheet of chipboard I cut the radius a couple of inches smaller. I then cut some square holes close to the edge and evenly spaced to allow G-clamps to be used.

This permitted even pressure to be applied and avoided the chance of V-ing...worked a treat.

wrinx

_________________
www.ilmostro.co.uk