Wood is a tricky thing. I've done a bit of woodwork, but haven't done any steam bending. I have read up on it, though.
I'm not trying to put you off of DIY, but as a first project, this might not be something you want to tackle. Wood is fickle and does things its own way. It'll change dimensions overnight thanks to it's temperature and mositure content, crack, split, and much else you won't expect. In some ways, I like aluminum better since it is more predictable and usually does what it is supposed to.
I agree that working laminated strips around a mold is probably the best way to go with this. You could try carving a solid block, but that can give you some interesting tricks with dimensional stability. Put stress on it the wrong way and you'll get cracks and splits.
If you want to work with wood, take a shop class or sign up for a class at your local woodwork shop. It is tremendously rewarding, but you have to get an understanding of how to deal with it. You're not just cutting up a piece of plastic or metal. Wood was a living thing, each species has its ow quirks and not every species csn be handled the same way. Some woods are better for certain things than others. How the wood is initially cut (quarter or plainsawn) changes how it behaves and each species responds to finishes differently.
That might seem overwhelming, but it's fun to learn. There are countless books and other resources, too. And, like any DIY endeavor, plenty of tools to buy.
I like to use power tools for rough cuts, but prefer traditional hand tools for finish work. It seems counterintuitive, but the hand tools are actually faster than using power tools.
I'm not trying to put you off of DIY, but as a first project, this might not be something you want to tackle. Wood is fickle and does things its own way. It'll change dimensions overnight thanks to it's temperature and mositure content, crack, split, and much else you won't expect. In some ways, I like aluminum better since it is more predictable and usually does what it is supposed to.
I agree that working laminated strips around a mold is probably the best way to go with this. You could try carving a solid block, but that can give you some interesting tricks with dimensional stability. Put stress on it the wrong way and you'll get cracks and splits.
If you want to work with wood, take a shop class or sign up for a class at your local woodwork shop. It is tremendously rewarding, but you have to get an understanding of how to deal with it. You're not just cutting up a piece of plastic or metal. Wood was a living thing, each species has its ow quirks and not every species csn be handled the same way. Some woods are better for certain things than others. How the wood is initially cut (quarter or plainsawn) changes how it behaves and each species responds to finishes differently.
That might seem overwhelming, but it's fun to learn. There are countless books and other resources, too. And, like any DIY endeavor, plenty of tools to buy.
I like to use power tools for rough cuts, but prefer traditional hand tools for finish work. It seems counterintuitive, but the hand tools are actually faster than using power tools.
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