Official Luthiers Forum!

Got a question for anyone using a Fox style bending set-up:
Do you guys shape/taper the sides before you bend or after it's bent and in the form? I know it can be done either way, just curious as to what ya'll do and recommend.

Thanks,
Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Ron,

I don't use a Fox bender, I use a mold and a heating blanket. Similar results, though.

I bend my sides uncontoured. After I've bent the sides, I use a sanding board to sand one edge of the sides smooth -- the edge that gets glued down to the soundboard. Prior to attaching the back, I taper the sides with a block plane to the taper I'm after. Then I glue down the linings for the back, just slightly proud of the edge of the sides, and then I contour the sides/linings once again on the sanding board, insuring that the linings are flush with the sides.

These steps are pretty much verbatim as to the way Cumpiano spells this process out in his book, Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology. To me, it is easy to do, it works well, and the results look good.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Ron,
I rough taper the sides before bending.
If the sides are to be 5" at the tail and 4" at the heel, I rip them to 5" and at a point 2" past the waist(towards the heel) I taper them from 5" to 4".Then I bend them.After they are bent I use a handplane and then the dish then glue the linings a little proud and sand with the dish again.
I use to do it the Cumpiano way but could never get a perfect dome.Brad Goodman38560.9921875

Thanks, Michael
I have the book,too. Just want to feel out the forum and get opinions. I have some fear of splitting the sides trying to use the plane. Seems like you could tape the sides together and shape both sides identical before being bent. The major problem, then, I suppose, is making sure each side is placed in the bender in exactly the same location so they match up. Anyway, that is how I was thinking of doing them, then put them in the form/mold for the sanding with the radius dish and installing the kerfing. Any idea if this is a sensible approach?

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Hi Ron,

I would have problems with my own setup if I contoured the sides before bending. While they are still basically thin rectangular slabs, I try to get them as true to the edges of my bending mold as I can before bending them. I wouldn't much like having to fool with a taper to insure they weren't bent with a bit of a sideways torque to them. Now, I know some folks like actually putting a bit of a reverse sort of hourglass kind of contour to both the top and back edge of the sides, but I'm not one of them. I'd rather try to keep things fairly simple, and so far, my results have been good.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

I for sure profile before bending. I have some profile templates I made
(described how to make them in my side bending video) it eliminates any
pre-bowl sanding or prep for kerfing. They will actually be for sale again
soon. They save HOURS of work. Are very accurate, and affordable....

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I use the bender and I have side patterns available for Martin style bodies. This way you have alot of the work done.
That straight taper works but lets you with alot of work. If you would like a set I can send you some. I use a jig that cuts the sides to the proper radii before bending. This way I an true it up rather quickly.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars

I cut the side taper before bending. I just taper the back, that still leaves you with one straight and square edge to line it up correctly in the bender.

Then I mark where the waist will be and slide it into the bender and line up the mark with the shoe of the bender. Do this with both sides and they will come out the same, just remember to line the straight edge up on opposite sides of the bender for each bend.

Check out John's video. It is much easier to see in the video than it is to explain it.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

I purchased John Mayes side profiles and they do save alot of time. I just make sure I line up the straight egde in the bender and the waist mark (which is also marked on the side profiles he makes). You know what? I am sick of all the people on this forum who are such a help. Its because of them I keep emptying my wallet on wood and jigs and tools and...

On a shooting plane I truethe top edge of the side planks, shape 1/8 over contour on back edge prior to bending. Bend, glue up with neck and tail blocks. Sand the top edge cleanly flush, install linings flush, bowl sand the contours to final height. If all is perfect I bowl sand 1/16" off both ends at this stage.

Check out the Jigs tools and techniques section for a simple method of side profiling using your dishes a simplied version of this with a piec of scrap wood and a pencil should get you close. Useful for the first time you build a new body shape. After the first one you can make a template from the finished side, for you next build.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Thanks John and Dave and everyone else for this input. I have a contoured side template so I'm going to go ahead and shape before I bend. Your answers pretty much coincide with exactly the procedure I had in mind.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......