Bending dried willow branches effectively involves softening the wood fibers to prevent breakage before shaping. This process often requires applying heat or moisture.
Here's a common approach based on softening the branch:
Techniques for Bending Dried Willow
To successfully bend dried willow, you need to make the wood more pliable. The method used often depends on the thickness of the piece you are working with.
Step-by-Step Bending Process
Based on common practices for wood bending and referenced techniques:
- Prepare the Willow: Ensure the branch is relatively clean and free of excess bark if desired, although bark can help retain moisture during softening.
- Soften the Wood: This is the crucial step for dried branches.
- For thinner stems, you can potentially use body heat: Hold the stem where you want it to bend between your fingers to heat it slightly.
- For thicker branches, more intense heat or moisture is required: If you are bending a branch you might have to heat it with warm water or a flame. Soaking the branch in hot water or steaming it for a period is a widely used method to hydrate and soften dried wood. Alternatively, carefully applying heat from a flame can soften the area to be bent, but requires caution to avoid scorching.
- Begin the Bend: Once the wood feels more flexible, Slowly start to bend the stem. Apply steady, gentle pressure at the point where you want the curve. Bend it gradually, rather than attempting a sharp bend all at once.
- Shape and Secure: Continue bending the branch to the desired shape. If you are forming a loop or circle, for instance, bend the branch until the tip meets the stem. When the tip and the stem meet secure it with glue. Wood glue or a strong craft adhesive can be used to hold the shape while it dries and cools, allowing the wood to set in its new form.
- Allow to Set: Keep the branch secured in its bent shape (using clamps, ties, or the applied glue) until the wood has fully cooled and dried in its new position. This can take several hours to a full day depending on the thickness and how much moisture was used.
Why Soften Dried Wood?
Dried wood, unlike green wood, has very little moisture content. The cellulose fibers are rigid and brittle. Applying heat (dry or via moisture) makes these fibers more elastic, allowing them to stretch and compress without snapping when bent.
Bending dried willow branches requires patience and often experimentation, as success can depend on the branch's thickness, dryness, and the specific technique used for softening.
