Ready made boat frames (ribs) for steam bending – one of our most popular products Back to Home Page

If you need steam bent frames (or ribs as they are often called) we can supply them ready made to your specification, so you just have to steam them and bend them into place. The ribs we supply are cut from very fresh unseasoned local oak selected for its straight grain and free from all but the smallest knots or other defects. They will even be cut in such a way as to align the growth rings correctly to minimise movement in service.

The cost for this service is £1 per foot for ribs up to two inches wide and a maximum of 7 feet long. Over 7 feet the price is £1.35 per foot, and over 12 feet the price is £1.70 per foot.

At first glance you may think it cheaper to go to your local timber merchant and simply buy unseasoned oak and pay to have it sawn and planed to your dimensions. However, if you do this you have to remember that a lot of your wood will be unusable due to the presence of knots or wavy grain (which may not be apparent until you start cutting the individual ribs). Additionally, it is not always easy to get genuinely wet unseasoned oak. Much of the oak available in this country is from mainland Europe and has usually been air drying for some months by the time it reaches the UK. You may notice such timber has become quite grey and is opening up with little cracks all over – this is not a good sign.

Our ready made ribs are the easy way to do it, and can be delivered anywhere in the UK, for a fairly low charge. Even professional boatbuilders buy ready made ribs from us. We will also happily give free advice with your order if you are unsure how to steam or fit ribs. Gavin Hyatt the proprietor of BTS has many years experience of steam bending wood, and will tell you how to get hold of suitable tools, how to make a simple steam box or how long to steam the wood for.

Most of these are ready made ribs supplied by us, but a few are

originals…..can you spot the difference?

A 50foot+ launch being built on the Isles of Scilly, and every frame is 2inch by 2 inch steam bent oak. BTS didn’t exist when this boat was built, but she helped provide the inspiration for BTS. Many thanks to Mike Hicks, boatbuilder of St Mary’s Isles of Scilly for his permission to use this photo.