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Gonna be bending a set here real soon. Anybody here have any experiences they would like to share about bending this wood. It will be a fairly curvy cutaway so I'm wondering what thickness you took the sides to and any other bit if info that might be helpfull. This wood was expensive and I really don't want any mishaps.
TIA, John

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

I did some a little while back. Did a uke too. Anyway I thinned the sides
down to .075-.080 and bent it like rosewood (hey it is a rosewood!). Did
not have any problems. But you can tell while bending that it is a very
stiff wood.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Thanks John

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

John, I've bent two sets. Both went ok, and my sides were in the same range as John M. It can resist your will to an amazing degree, but it's not impossible. I did both of these by hand, and turned the iron up to "supernova". (One good thing is that scorch won't necessarily show....) You will want to thin down the cutaway section a bit more. Best of luck to you on this!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thank you Steve
I'll show some pics if it don't break John How38744.599537037

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

John,

I've bent two sets - both in my home made Fox bender that then just used light bulbs for heat. I think I had the sides at around 0.08". It bends fine like rosewood, I just took my time. One one set I let the upper bout get a little too dry and it had a small hairline crack in the middle of the upper bout bend - glued up fine. I think that with heating blankets etc normal braz rosewood techniques would be fine.

I know what you mean about the expense - it took me ages to pluck up the courage to bend it. The trick was to just think it was a normal set of wood and do the usual - not imagine the struff going "crack" in your head.

With hindsight, one thing I would do now with this wood is build a lot thinner than normal - back and sides. The two guitars I made have a fabulous ringing sustain (that Blackwood brings) but they are heavy guitars. I think that Gerald Sheppard has built some and gone pretty thin with the Blackwood - might be worth contact him and asking.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Dave, I did talk to Gerald by phone a couple weeks ago, what a kind and generous gentleman he is. I met him at the guitar fest last summer. He gave me some great advice which I plan to use but I can use all the help I can get.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

[QUOTE=John How] He gave me some great advice which I plan to use but I can use all the help I can get.[/QUOTE]

OK, then John, here's some more:
Don't do this on a Monday or a Friday,
Clear your schedule of every other pressing thing,
And wear clean socks.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Good idea Steve, Thanks

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.