Introduction to Wood Bending
A two-day workshop in steam bending, kerf bending, bent lamination and coopering.
Wood bends. Given the right technique, timber that appears rigid will take a curve, hold a form, and become something that could not or should not have been cut from a solid piece.
This two-day workshop is a comparative, hands-on introduction to the four main approaches to bending wood: steam bending, kerf bending, laminated bending, and coopering. You will work with each method, not just watch, and leave with a working understanding of when to reach for each one, and why.
No prior bending experience is required. Some woodworking experience is helpful but not essential.
What you will cover
Steam bending How steam works on wood fibres, species selection, bending forms and clamp sequences. The rhythm, techniques and timing that makes the difference between success and one fracturing failure.
Kerf bending Calculating kerf spacing for a given radius, saw techniques, glues and backing veneers, and when kerf bending is and is not the right approach.
Laminated bending Form and mould making, glue selection, layup sequences, and the relationship between laminate thickness, species, and the curve you are trying to achieve.
Coopering Stave geometry, fitting, and assembly. One of the oldest and least-taught bending traditions, and one of the most useful for contemporary makers.
Workshop details
Duration: 2 days
Location: Mount Egerton VIC 3352
Group size: Maximum 4 participants
Experience: Some woodworking experience helpful, open to confident beginners
Price: $660 per person (materials included)
Dates: Dates announced to the EOI list first, register your interest below
Mount Egerton is located on Wadawurrung Country in Central Victoria, approximately 90 minutes from Melbourne and 30 minutes from Ballarat. The studio is easily reached from Melbourne's west and from Geelong, Daylesford and regional Victoria.
Who this workshop suits
This workshop is designed for makers who have encountered bending as a problem in their practice and want to understand it properly, not just follow a single recipe, but develop genuine judgement about which method to use and how.
It suits furniture makers, woodworkers, designers, artists, and anyone who works with timber and wants to extend what they can do with it.
If you are coming from another discipline, ceramics, metalwork, textile design, architecture, and wood bending has appeared as a possibility in your practice, this is a good place to start.
About the teaching
Ross Annels has been working with bent form for over 25 years, across sculptural furniture, installation, and commission work. Bending, steam, laminated, kerf, hot pipe, coopering, is central to his practice, not a peripheral technique.
He has taught at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine, Sturt School for Wood, the JamFactory, and the Queensland College of Art, as well as running workshops and mentoring programs from his studio in Mount Egerton.
Small group sizes mean teaching is close and responsive. There is time to work carefully, ask questions, and understand what you are doing and why.
What past participants say
"The most exhilarating day of woodworking ever." — Ioannis Benardos, Sturt School for Wood, 2025, after completing a laminated helical curve
"I'll never look at wood in the same way again." — Martin Stanley, Sturt School for Wood, 2025
Express your interest
Dates for this workshop are announced to the interest list first. If you would like to be notified when bookings open, contact Ross directly.
Continue your bending practice
This workshop is the entry point to a deeper program in bent form at Moonlite Studios. Those who want to go further can progress to:
The Bent Stick and the Sculptural Form, a 5-day masterclass exploring bending techniques and sculptural expression
Contemporary Coopered Form, a 2-day deep dive into stave geometry and coopered construction
Bent Form: Design and Studio Practice, a 2-day design-focused studio intensive for makers and designers
Moonlite Studios is a working furniture making and creative practice based in Mount Egerton, on Wadawurrung Country in Central Victoria. Courses and mentoring are offered year-round in small groups within a studio environment.
View all courses and workshops · Frequently Asked Questions · Mentoring with Ross · Contact