Bending 3/4" x 1/4" Cap Strips

I made a temporary stand to keep the sticks in from some cardboard tubes. The vinyl we use in our business for tee shirt transfers and sign/wrap material come on these 3" tubes. I've bundled them with some bungee cords here, packing tape works better. The cords let the tubes shift and more easily fall. Next to them are some sticks soaking in water. As with the other cap strips I found the sticks too dry to heat and bend easily. Soaking in water for 24 hours before steaming wets them enough for the heat to more easily penetrate the wood. Wood is a pretty good insulator when dry.

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To fit the wider strips in my steamer I removed the crosswise cable ties. You can only get 3 in at a time, but we only need 6, 2 upper strips and 4 lower. They bend just as easy as the smaller stick. You need to quickly clamp the end and then work from there pulling down the bend as you go to the end clamps. Don't try pulling on the end of the stick.
I don't know why the blog site is rotating this picture. I tried twice and gave up. You'll just have to turn your head.

I'm ready to start making the butt ribs.