Official Luthiers Forum!

YES............Lots of general info out there about STEAM BENDING, but in reality for bending sides HEAT is the important factor. While bending IRW does not require Super Soft I have started to use it for all my bending. As Mike says very effective.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Page two of the link I posted earlier in this thread shows the control box and the wiring is explained -- the controller has a timer which in my view is mandatory.

http://www.acousticguitarconstructionfo ... 4&start=10

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

While I now use a heating blanket set-up, I did my first two on a pipe bender with the ole electric charcoal starter as the heat source (total investment less than $20). Takes time and patience to get the bend, but it will do the job. Have to ask, how thick are your sides? I usually work somewhere between 0.08 and 0.09 inches.

Yes around about the same thickness on the sides..but may have been a bit thinner in this spot.

I don't know where in the UK you are based, but if you are any where around Milton Keynes you are welcome to borrow my electric bending iron to give that a try?

Thanks flounder but down in sunny devon

I know it has been said before but a bending machine is neither difficult to build nor overly expensive. If you are already thinking a digital temperature control, a half mold, and a heating blanket you are 90% there.

I know there are many builders that say they love the art of bending on a pipe, but I note you said you are not enjoying the process. A bending machine has a much lower learning curve and good repeatability.


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Hi tom

Have found uk equivalent of supersoft here..
How do you use it to bend..is it an additional thing you use with heat or use it alone
And how long is it on before wood is workable
Thanks

Thanks mike

Am looking at buying some supersoft equivalent in uk

Just Fter more tips please

Is the wood more pliable before you use heat or does it just help during bend

Got some binding to bend ..how would you approach it (using spray)

Cheers

I spray it on the night before - liberally. Let it dry then bend with heat as you normally would. The SuperSoft will just make it easier. Thin pieces of wood, sides and some bindings, will feel more flexible after you apply the SS and let it dry.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

As others have said you need to up your bending equipment. The break is in the right place to put in a very deep scoop or make into a florentine shape.

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Michael F Smith
Goat Rock Ukulele
http://goatrockukulele.com

Hi cablepuller. If it's any consolation I just completely split one of a pair of beautiful flamed maple ribs clean through. I was bending it on an electric heating iron and did the first rib spot on. Then I bent the second one and nearly finished before realising I'd bent it exactly the same as the first one - in other words I'd have 2 treble sides!!! So I carefully started to bend it back the other way , but not nearly careful enough and crack - it ended in two pieces!

I suppose I could have tried to glue it, but this guitar is too important so I went out and bought a new set. One week later and I'm back where I started, but I've just put it down to experience....

Hi polaris

Feel your pain my friend. Found it a tough unforgiving stage and theres an art to bending that i need to master..thanks for sharing it .. seems like this scratch building is going to be a real test
I did salvage mine..not perfect though but good enough.. i superglued the inside and made sure the side support covered it too..then i carefully sanded out the crease.. it will be thinner at this point but supported from behind so should be ok
I cant see the crease but can just about feel it..too scared to sand anymore

Cheers

I didn't want to say otherwise when more experienced members were recommending throwing your bent piece away, but I had a similar experience with my first guitar. I bent the rosewood sides on a "Fox Bender" and a biggish flap came away on the inside of one waist and left a crease on the outside face. WIth my teacher's advice (at South Thames College) I stuck this back down and then cabinet scraped and sanded the crease away. Scary but it worked and you can't see it on the finished guitar!

You are not the first nor will you be the last to make that classic mistake

Thanks polaris good to know..i might keep sanding/scraping then to eradicate the crease.. still got some thickness to play with

Super Soft. I apply it to a well prepped board. Wrap in paper towels. Soak them too. Then wrap it all in aluminum (aluminium in the UK) foil and let it set 24 hours. Then, unwrap an towel dry. I also let it dry out a bit before hitting the bender. Then wrap in Kraft paper, steel slats either side, water spritz before that, and into the bender. Heat blanket on top of slats.

I think the thing to remember is that the super soft causes the lignum to become semi-plastic, the heat is then more effective. Stress risers less likely. The heat will also reset the lignum. It will also come out quite the mess. But scraping cleans it up. As for your steam bending, I'm not sure if I can tell u what to expect, yet, it's got to be better than what u were dealing with.

Mike

Another thing. Don't worry if you can't tell that the wood is more flexible after a 24 hour soak. It's still 0.1" or so thick. Not quite the definition of a veneer. With veneers (0.6 mm or less) u can indeed feel the difference. The effect is "felt" by the bender. Does not have to get as hot or work as hard (IMO). If the wood contains internal stress risers (pin knots), all bets are off. I have a very expensive set of coco sides that will attest to that. Very nice crack.