Thank you Steve
I'll show some pics if it don't break
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| Bending African Blackwood http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=4760 |
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| Author: | John How [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:24 am ] |
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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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| Author: | John Mayes [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:44 am ] |
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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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| Author: | John How [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:54 am ] |
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Thanks John |
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| Author: | Steve Kinnaird [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:59 am ] |
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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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| Author: | John How [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 6:23 am ] |
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Thank you Steve I'll show some pics if it don't break |
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| Author: | Dave White [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 6:31 am ] |
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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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| Author: | John How [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 1:59 pm ] |
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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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| Author: | Steve Kinnaird [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:20 pm ] |
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[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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| Author: | John How [ Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:54 pm ] |
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Good idea Steve, Thanks |
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