Beech for stems?

[Ben]

I am starting my second boat, and I was planning on using cherry again for the stems. I ran across a piece of nicely grained beech and I am wondering if anyone has tried to use it for stems before. Thanks!

[Patricks Dad]

Did a quick search for beech and steam bending and found this note:

Beech is classed as heavy, hard, strong, high in resistance to shock and highly suitable for steam bending. Good resistance to abrasive wear.

I've never used it but I think I'd take a crack at it (crack? oh sorry, I'd give it a chance).

[Glen Smith]

It's a great wood for stems but it depends on what you mean by "nicely grained". You need straight, close grain for good bending characteristics. If your piece has highly figured grain, this could cause splitting in the bending process. In any case, always add a sacrificial strip to the outside of the stack. This will absorb most of the bending stress and reduce the risk of splitting. It will also serve as a clamping surface. Once steamed, bent and dry, you remove the sacrificial strip and discard it.

[Ben]

Oops! My father was teaching my daughter how to rip on a bandsaw and use a drum sander last night. They ended up making my strips out of cherry instead of the beech. I am not going to complain! Thanks for the advice, though! I may need to keep it for the third boat.