More thoughts on steaming: Flat, transparent polyurethane tubing is available from various online sources, including Amazon. It comes in various diameters, and best of all, it withstands the temperature from wallpaper removal steamers. I had two 20 foot pieces of 1x2 inch white oak that needed to be formed around a curved small sailboat cabin. I simply cut the tubing to length, clamped the ends of the tubing, inserted the steamer nozzle in the poly tubing at the center, steamed away, and the oak came out relaxed like cooked pasta. It was lovely. And cheap. I found this idea online, it's a brilliant hack but not invented here.
I see your point, but for whatever reason it worked. I also covered the plastic with a couple of moving blankets to keep up the heat. The steam turned the flat tubing into a cylinder the entire 20 feet. Which was a pleasant surprise. Steam did condense to very hot water in the slightly drooping ends. I used the standard formula for time being steamed, which worked well. I was concerned that the middle would be well steamed and the ends, distant from the steamer hose, would be less adequately steamed. This was not the case. Everything was very pliable.
More thoughts on steaming: Flat, transparent polyurethane tubing is available from various online sources, including Amazon. It comes in various diameters, and best of all, it withstands the temperature from wallpaper removal steamers. I had two 20 foot pieces of 1x2 inch white oak that needed to be formed around a curved small sailboat cabin. I simply cut the tubing to length, clamped the ends of the tubing, inserted the steamer nozzle in the poly tubing at the center, steamed away, and the oak came out relaxed like cooked pasta. It was lovely. And cheap. I found this idea online, it's a brilliant hack but not invented here.
I see your point, but for whatever reason it worked. I also covered the plastic with a couple of moving blankets to keep up the heat. The steam turned the flat tubing into a cylinder the entire 20 feet. Which was a pleasant surprise. Steam did condense to very hot water in the slightly drooping ends. I used the standard formula for time being steamed, which worked well. I was concerned that the middle would be well steamed and the ends, distant from the steamer hose, would be less adequately steamed. This was not the case. Everything was very pliable.