Okay, let’s talk about what I was up to with that larch timber. It’s been sitting in the workshop for a bit, and I got this weird idea, maybe call it the ‘rubber dancing lvl’ method, stuck in my head. Don’t ask me where I heard it, probably just something rattling around upstairs. Sounded kinda interesting, figured why not give it a whirl.

Getting Started

So, I grabbed a decent piece of larch. Standard stuff, you know, pretty rigid, nice grain but definitely not something you’d think of as ‘dancing’. First thing, I gave it a quick clean, brushed off the dust and whatnot. Had to prepare it, right? Didn’t really have a clear plan, more like feeling my way through it. I gathered some bits and pieces I thought might work – some heavy-duty rubber sheeting I had from another project, clamps, my heat gun, and a tub for soaking.

The Process – Trying Things Out

My first thought was simple: water. Larch isn’t exactly known for bending easily, but maybe a good long soak would soften it up. So I submerged the timber piece in water for a whole day. Pulled it out, and yeah, it was wet, heavier, but still stiff as a board. No ‘dancing’ there.

Alright, plan B. Heat. Sometimes heat helps wood become a bit more pliable. I took the damp piece and carefully started applying heat with the heat gun. Not too close, didn’t want to scorch it badly. Just waved it back and forth, trying to get it evenly warmed. While it was warm, I tried clamping it with some blocks to introduce a slight curve. There was a tiny bit of give, more than when it was cold, but it felt like it was fighting me. Definitely wasn’t happy about bending.

This is where the ‘rubber’ part came in, sort of. I thought, what if I wrap it super tight while it’s warm and damp? Maybe that constant pressure would help? So I took those rubber sheets, cut some strips, and wrapped the larch timber tightly, using clamps to hold the rubber in place where needed. It looked pretty strange, all bundled up. I left it like that for another day, hoping the combination of moisture, residual heat, and pressure would do… something.

What Actually Happened

After unwrapping it the next day, well, it wasn’t exactly revolutionary. The wood had dried out mostly. It held a very, very slight curve, barely noticeable unless you were really looking for it. Definitely nothing I’d call ‘rubber dancing’. The surface felt a bit different where the rubber had been pressed against it, maybe a bit compressed or textured. But flexible? Nope. Still solid larch timber.

• Soaked it for 24 hours.
• Applied heat gently.
• Attempted a slight bend while warm.
• Wrapped tightly with rubber sheeting.
• Let it sit under pressure.

Final Thoughts

So, the ‘rubber dancing lvl larch timber’ experiment? Kinda a bust, if I’m being honest. Didn’t really achieve any significant flexibility. Maybe the technique needs refinement, maybe it’s just nonsense, or maybe larch just isn’t the wood for it. It was an interesting process, though. Messing around, trying things out, that’s half the fun, right? Learned that larch is pretty stubborn, which I already kinda knew, but confirmed it firsthand. Didn’t waste much material, just a bit of time. For now, I think I’ll stick to using larch for what it’s good at – being strong and straight. No dancing involved.