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Do you guys ever have any problems bending snakewood?? What bending method do you use??
I am having a really tough time. The shape I'm bending has a tight waist, and that is where they keep cracking. I've tried using my bending iron and my crummy side bending machine with no luck. My side bending machine is one I made a few years ago. It just as light bulbs in it. I'm thinking about building a new side bending machine and getting a heat blanket for it. It almost seems like the only way to bend this snakewood. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I've already broken two pieces and I sure don't want to brake any more.

It actually bends pretty easy. Make sure you are getting it hot enough, don't force it... just let it r e l a x....

I also use a backer on my binding pieces.

How thick are you trying to bend it?

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I do alot of snakewood bindings.

heres a good tip.

Tape the ends on both sides, all 4 pieces together.
and bend them at the same time.

and what brock said...It actually bends pretty easy. Make sure you are getting it hot enough, don't force it... just let it r e l a x....

thats the key guys. (let the wood relax)

ron

Hesh try one of the painters low tack tapes like the blue, green or purple stuff. It is a bit hard to release regular masking tape. It should bend just fine in John's machine. Bobc38786.986099537

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Hesh they look great. I would keep the two slats. Try putting some of those spring clamps preferably the metal one's on the ends of the sandwich. Two or 3 on each end or just the lower bout just for some weight. When the sandwich starts to sag you know the wood is relaxing enough to start bending.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

I don't know why I'm having so much trouble. I have bent curly koa and curly maple with no problem.(but not with this shape)
Brock, you are using a heating blanket, right? What about you Ron, heating blanket??
I'm thinking since the waist is so deep the light bulbs are not going to get enough heat in the waist area.

Colby

Your not getting the bindings hot enough.

You need to invest in a heating blanket.
I got mine from John Hall .

colby if your build alot of guitars or more then two
you need one. Its a must have tool.

I say this from my heart man.

Ron

Thanks Ron!!

For a minute I thought I had lost my touch.

Hey Colby

also take a good look at the binding and see if the wood is flat sawn or Q-sawn   that also could be
why your having a hard time.

very hard to tell on snakewood if the wood Q-sawn or not.??

[QUOTE=Colby Horton] I don't know why I'm having so much trouble. I have bent curly koa and curly maple with no problem.(but not with this shape)
Brock, you are using a heating blanket, right? What about you Ron, heating blanket??
I'm thinking since the waist is so deep the light bulbs are not going to get enough heat in the waist area.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I am using a heating blanket.... I think taping all 4 up at once is a better way to go. It resists the press a little more and gives you more tactile response when you are going too fast.

Hesh... I know your problem... bending them at .09 is REALLY thick. Try them at about .06 or .07.

I have bent sets on a pipe that will fit a telecaster (although, I will admit that was challenging...)... but the point is fitting it to an acoustic shape isn't too bad. Just get it hot, and go slow.

Brock Poling38787.4856365741

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Hi guys, what is a string clamp, is it the cauls with wood handles, attached to the bending machine with springs? I just wanna make sure i understood well what was said! TIA

Serge

Serge it's a spring clamp.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Thangs Bob, great, i do have a few of those, thatell give a break to my credi card

I think i've seen it on Lance's pic of his bender, do you leave the spring clamps on the sandwich through the whole bending process? Or perhaps, should i ask do you clamp it this way at both ends of the sandwich?   because if you clamped it sideways, you could not do a proper bend, the spring clamps would be touching the form? right?

So many questions, well i'm sure you kind folks were asking the same questions some time ago, when you were my age so i thought you'd understand!

TIA

Serge

Others have much more experience than I do but I broke about 6 pieces of snakewood before I decided it was simple just a bit too thick. I used heating blanket with bending form - both from John so couldnt blame the equipment. Brought the next strips down a bit to around .007 and they bent like any wood at that point.

Serge, I take the spring clamps off once the waist bend is about halfway down. The top and bottom of your "sandwich" don't follow the same radius and if clamped tightly it will probably buckle. At least, that's what I think.

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Serge have a look at some pic's here. Towards bottom of page. Just a couple of clamps on the ends will do the trick. Remove them just before bending.
http://www.rctonewoods.rcefaluguitars.com/shop_pics.htm

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] Brock so .090 is to thick..... No wonder I was as worried as I was. They are all bent now with no problems but I went very slow and had the blanket on full heat for 5 minutes. Next time I will cut myself some slack and go thinner.

I do like the way thick bindings look fromt he front and back though but perhaps next time with less expensive zoot.[/QUOTE]


I agree, I like the way thicker bindings look too. However this introduces another problem if you go too thick.. You will cut the rabbet in the side and back so deep that you will be into the kerfed lining. Since that is really the main support for the plates it is not a good idea to be routing a lot of it away.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Thanks for all the info guys. I have been bending at .080. I tried it on the bending iron and just couldn't get it. The water dried out quickly and then the wood would just burn or break. I think I'm going to buy a bending blanket.

Thanks Hesh, Ron and Bob, very much appeciated, so my understanding is that you spring clamp them at both ends just to keep the sandwich together and relase it when the waist bend is half way down. Cool!

Hesh, yeah, gravity has it's good sides!
Ron, thanks bud!
Bob, thanks for the link to your website.


i would have one or two more questions if ya don't mind. I noticed that you did not have a metal slat attached or nailed to your form, do you use lightbulbs and if not, do you think that my combination of 3-200 watts bulbs and heat blanket without a nailed first slat would be dangerous to set my sides on fire ? Or should i keep my first slat nailed on there to get the temperature rising in the bender and form?

Sorry for my lenghty questions , i usually post LOL buttons . Thanks

Serge