About The Project
The flowing lines and arches of the bench trace the branches of the tree it sits under. The bench was made by steam bending ash boards into the desired shapes. Steaming softens the lignin, the natural resin binding wood fibers, allowing the material to become pliable, stretch, and compress. Once bent and cooled on a form, the lignin hardens, locking the wood into its new shape.
Steam bending is only possible with wood that has only been air, and not kiln, dried. Most commercially available wood is kiln dry, precisely because the kilning process hardens the lignin, thus stabilizing the wood. I was able to find air dried ash from a rural Minnesota farmer.
The bench is coated with impregnating epoxy and marine varnish, thus ensuring lasting outdoor durability.
