Earlex SS77USSG Steam Generator, 1.3-Gallon Capacity, 12' Hose, Steamer for Wood Bending, Steam Box for Wood, Portable Steam Generator, Steam Wood Bender

I bought this steam generator 2 years ago. It was "on sale" so I thought, "why not, I will eventually give it a try." Two weeks ago, I was inspired to build a trout landing net which required steam bending thin (1/8th inch) strips of walnut, birch, and yew wood. Out of the box and ready to go, I only needed to study the manual that came with the steam generator then construct a steam chamber. I was off and running! There was nothing difficult about this process. Other than being extra cautious (it never hurts to be careful) about potential over pressurization, I simply plugged in the steam generator, checked my timing parameters, then proceeded to work on another craft project while I waited for the steam process to take place. Fifteen minutes later, my first strips were ready to clamp to the jig. The wood was like butter and molded easily around the template. I left the steamed wood clamped to the jig for 24 hours (although I recently learned that it's not necessary to wait that long), then completed the gluing up process (messy, but the excess glue sands off easily). The result is the attached picture. I can only say good things about this steamer. This was my very first attempt at steam bending; and it worked! The kit includes everything you need to set up your system. The only thing you need to do, besides building your steam box is drill a hole for the fitting that connects the steam hose to the box. The manual includes a very nice set of instructions for building your own steam box out of plywood. I made mine out of PVC, and while the PVC warped a bit from the intense heat, it was still satisfactory. I plan to build a similar box out of 3/4" marine plywood; other people use galvanized stove pipe and even stainless steel if you want to get fancy. As true for any project using steam and tools, be sure to study the warnings and precautions described in the manual. You will be dealing with 212 degree steam so wear gloves when you are removing your steamed wood or are in contact with the system while it is in operation. The Earlex Steam Generator has opened up a whole new world of wood crafting for me, and I thank them sincerely for a product that has allowed me to get started with a very effective unit at a very reasonable price.

It works and is easy to use, but it has one shortcoming. Or longcoming. That plastic hose is twelve feet long and the steam loses a lot of heat in it, which is not what I want for my steambox. The connectors (on the tank and with that brass fitting) are both half-inch threaded pipe ends, and I'll have to go shopping for a shorter replacement hose. Otherwise, no copmplaints.

It does what it says. It is not lots of steam, and the hose is very long so it takes about 30 minutes to really get to point where there is escaping steam from drain hole in steam box. Because the hose is so long alot is steam condenses prior to making it into steamer box. It won't build up any pressure in steam box and as additional water is added it takes time for that water to get back up to boiling. This is good for a project, but if I continue to steam bend wood I will need a much more robust steam generator.

Love this machine does exactly what I wanted it to do.

Restoring 120 year old windows, so I have a lot of putty to remove. Saw a video whit a guy using one of these as well as some of the big restore shops using a big steam box. After the nightmares of putty removal as a kid with all the cracked windows, I decided to try this method. Couldn't be happier. Takes about 10-15 minutes total on a 24x24 window to remove all the old putty. No more broken glass from digging at the putty or overheating it with a heat-gun/torch. Got 3 -4 windows done per tank. It does tend to spit a little hot water and you have to be a bit careful on the wood so you don't dig in or scrape it to bad. Would help to have some sort of handle available for the end of the hose as it can get warm - I just used a big plastic spring clamp.

I just got started with wood bending when I got this unit. It's easy to operate, heats up quickly, and makes plenty of steam for the average one-off project. I have used it steaming wood in plastic trash bags (you can put the wood in the mold while it is still steaming), and using a collapsible gutter downspout (variable length, good diameter, and a square end for the stream line). It's pretty easy to attach the steam line to whatever you need, just drill a hole and screw the line on. The only thing that I would caution people is to say RESPECT that max fill line on the side of the unit. If you overfill the tank with water, it will trip the overtemp safety switch and shut down the unit until the water cools off. Since you have a lot of water in the tank in this case, that will be a long time. You'll end up having to dump out all that very hot water (not a pleasant chore), and starting from scratch. Not to mention what a way-too-short steam run might do to the wood you're trying to bend. This is a good way to bend wood if you follow the directions.

I have used this a couple times for steam bending wood and it works great. It produces plenty of steam and heats up fairly fast, faster than it claimed to. You have to take care in handling and storing this because the hose is pretty cheap. The ends are hard plastic and I can see they would be easy to break. For the price it is exactly what I expected.

I bought this for my personal sauna because the steam generator fell apart. I looked for a replacement and every one I found had bad reviews. When I found this and I saw somebody else tried it for a sauna I thought I would too. Best sauna heat I've generated so far. Heat is not as wet but super hot. I just cut a hole in the sauna to fit the hose and it worked great. Highly recommend.

Just worked only 2 times and very next day stop working. Not truning on. Don't know what to do. Is there any warranty available ?

Leider fehlt der Adapter, in der Gebrauchsanleitung bei Technischen Daten wird angegeben das, dass Gerät nur mit 120V betrieben werden darf?? Was soll ich mit dem Gerät , da wir eine Netzspannnung von 220 V haben. Angaben sehr MANGELHAFT!!

Unit works perfectly. I used it to remove thick ice from the edge of my roof. I added a 6" pipe nipple onto the provided brass fitting and was able to melt through the ice easily. Also used it to defrost my chest freezer. Once heated up, it produces steam for about 2 hours. No power switch, just plug in and wait about 20 minutes for it to start producing steam. Nice to have 12' hose to give lots of reach.

This steamer is awesome! I bought it to do wood strip steaming. I watched a few videos and some chambers had been made with PVC pipe, so I did the same. I set my timer for 15 minute intervals but nothing happened until the 45 minute mark! See photo. Obviously PVC is not the choice, so perhaps ABS will do, but this machine did its job well.It comes with a coupler for the steam box that makes the connecting process very easy. I highly recommend this steam generator.

I like this equipment Except the hose, the hose is in plastic and all curved. it is broken. I would like to know what other hose i can use?