This is the steam box that I use in making the oval boxes. There is a wood fire under what was once a crab pot and a pipe to carry the steam over to the box. The box sides to be steamed are stood on edge inside the box. They are 1/8 inch thick and they are shaped, drilled, end tapered and sanded prior to steaming. I open a door on the end of the steam box and take one piece at a time out and bend it around the mold. Molds with sides on them can be seen in the foreground. There is a separate mold for each box size and another mold for the top of that size box. Vice grips with 3/8 inch square pieces of key stock clamp the overlapping sides while they rest on the mold to cool and set.

I have made boxes in this way from Maple, Walnut, Madrone, Ash, Oak and other woods. Only very straight-grained wood will do, knots and curls that one might find desirable for other applications are likely to make the bend uneven. Air dried wood, rather than kiln dried stuff, works best. I wrote about this in Fine Woodworking Issue #32.