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Looking good! I've wanted to try a bound soundhole. Maybe I should, hmmm anyhow y'all are making good progress I gotta get back to work on mine!

I'll have my mold and a side bending template finished tomorrow. Fellow Tennesseean Kevin Waldron makes very nice templates.

Finished the mold and bending form. Have a side bending.

Yeah baby!
Finally figured out how to bend Mahogany and then this Maple. Easy as taking a nap Sunday afternoon
My technique is get everything in the bender,(Steel slat, damp paper, damp side, damp paper, heat blanket, steel slat) take a shop cloth and rest your hand on the slat (rear bout) and the weight of your hand will start to bend the side around 150 degrees, take it down with hand pressure and slide your spring/caul over the form. Same on the front bout and then slowly crank down the waist.Three to four minutes max, I let it get to 300/310 and turn down the heat to 250 for 10 minutes. I leave the side in the bender for 30 minutes, or overnight.

That's some good looking maple! I really need to make a bender. What plans did you use?

Looking good clinch!


Posted using something.

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PMoMC

Holy smokes! Or rather, holy no smokes... those sides turned out great. Nice job!

Thanks for looking guys.
Zeke, I bought my bender from Bluescreek.
Tony thanks!
Randy, its sides tonight:) last night it was just one side, but I got one bent after work this evening. It is some nice looking curly maple

Nice progress!!

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

That's gonna be som great looking maple!!

Hah! Found a small crack in one of the sides Anyway superglued it and it should be fine. But I decided to look at my options, what do you all think? Kind of insane curl....... and just some normal stuff. I'll probably stick with what I have. If I can get that wild set bent:)

Good work so far! That is some impressive looking maple.

Thanks
Using my oh so sharp, Lie Nielsen modelers plane to radius the end blocks. I have the grain oriented with the sides. I made two different gizmos to establish the proper radius and decided planing to a line works best. Going to heat up the glue pot

End blocks glued in. Side reinforcements glued in all with HHG, might get some kerfed lining glued in, might not I get really lazy on Sunday afternoon

Looking good Clinch. What is your side thickness on that curly maple? I did mine at 0.07" and it was a little tricky...but I also had a cutaway to deal with.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

.85 no problem, but no cutaway either. However..........all that polyester side reinforcement peeled off. What are you guys using?

I'm old school (also known as 'cheap') using a bending iron.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

I use wooden side braces. They're mainly just there to stop cracks running along the side.

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

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Clinch, I used a cotton/polyester bias tape on my second build and had good results and will be using it again on this one. I was pointed onto it by Mr Alan Carruth. It works great and it's flat enough that you can glue your kerfing over it without having to notch it out like the wood braces. To apply it I just use Titebond and soak the strip with it and massage the glue in with my fingers to make sure it's really soaked all the way thru. Then I just lay them in place on the sides and press them down flat and wait for them to dry. I leave them a little long and trim them to side length after they are dry. I've had no adhesion issues and my second was maple just like yours. I think if your strips were pure polyester that could be why they did not stick. If you would like the brand of the stuff I used I can try and find the package. Good luck

I use the bias tape from the sewing place (Marshalls). Probably cotton polyester mix. I put tape on either side, lay the strip in HHG, then squeegee it to get the glue in there real good. When it's dry I wipe some shellac over it.

Nice work, I'm enjoying the build

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks guys, I ran some "bias tape" down locally and its holding fine. I've had a cold the last week or so and have not felt like doing anything, however today at great sacrifice.......... I actually got my hands on a 1937 Nick Lucas The sound can only be described as heavenly.

You bought it? Sweet!

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Ha! I wish its not for sale but I got to really check it out, play it and take a bunch of pics for reference.

Those position markers look easy enough to replicate if you can't find them anywhere.

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Bummer. At least you got to check it out.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC