Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - Success with bending Bubinga

I know that many of you have given up on bending Bubinga because of the faceting.

I just wanted to report my good news that I was able to successfully bend two sides last night.

Details

I thicknessed the sides to .095

I then sprayed them with a very good coat of SuperSoft II and let them dry for 24 hours - and then I actually (out of paranoia) gave them another light coat and let it dry again for 24 hours.

Went to my John Hall bender - set things up and let the temp come up to 300 degrees per his suggestion and did my bend.

I took the waist down to about 1/2" of the pattern - and then bent the sides.

They felt like any other side I've bent.

I then cranked the waist down.

I do have one small flat spot on the outset edge of one of the top bouts - but I think I can work around it.

Just wanted you to know that it can be done - and I'm so relieved!!!

Sides are in the mold and I'm happy to report my measurements for making the sides for a Manzer Wedge also worked out fine.

Paul:

Thanks for posting. I have a set of bubinga, as well. I also have a bottle of super-soft II and I'm not afraid to use it. Was there any noticible coloration from the SSII when compared to the untreated back?

Danny R. Little

I have a number of waterfall bubinga bindings. When bending the binding strips, should the same precautions be taken? I'm just not clear whether a 1/4" wide strip is more, less, or equally forgiving than a 5" wide side when trying to bend the wood.
thanks, Christian

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a related question.

I have a number of waterfall bubinga bindings. When bending the binding strips, should the same precautions be taken? I'm just not clear whether a 1/4" wide strip is more, less, or equally forgiving than a 5" wide side when trying to bend the wood.

thanks, Christian

Author:	Paul Burner [ Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Success with bending Bubinga
I know that many of you have given up on bending Bubinga because of the faceting. I just wanted to report my good news that I was able to successfully bend two sides last night. Details I thicknessed the sides to .095 I then sprayed them with a very good coat of SuperSoft II and let them dry for 24 hours - and then I actually (out of paranoia) gave them another light coat and let it dry again for 24 hours. Went to my John Hall bender - set things up and let the temp come up to 300 degrees per his suggestion and did my bend. I took the waist down to about 1/2" of the pattern - and then bent the sides. They felt like any other side I've bent. I then cranked the waist down. I do have one small flat spot on the outset edge of one of the top bouts - but I think I can work around it. Just wanted you to know that it can be done - and I'm so relieved!!! Sides are in the mold and I'm happy to report my measurements for making the sides for a Manzer Wedge also worked out fine.

Author:	Ken C [ Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Congrats Paul. I have a highly figured set that I'll get to some day. I like hearing all this success stories! Ken Paul Burner wrote: I know that many of you have given up on bending Bubinga because of the faceting. I just wanted to report my good news that I was able to successfully bend two sides last night. Details I thicknessed the sides to .095 I then sprayed them with a very good coat of SuperSoft II and let them dry for 24 hours - and then I actually (out of paranoia) gave them another light coat and let it dry again for 24 hours. Went to my John Hall bender - set things up and let the temp come up to 300 degrees per his suggestion and did my bend. I took the waist down to about 1/2" of the pattern - and then bent the sides. They felt like any other side I've bent. I then cranked the waist down. I do have one small flat spot on the outset edge of one of the top bouts - but I think I can work around it. Just wanted you to know that it can be done - and I'm so relieved!!! Sides are in the mold and I'm happy to report my measurements for making the sides for a Manzer Wedge also worked out fine.

Author:	Robbie_McD [ Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:31 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Awesome!!! I have a set as well that I have been reluctant to get after. I was just researching today and saw where LMI recommends for difficult woods, to use the bending iron, then the heat blanket on the outside face of the wood, then a stainless steel slat. I figure if I do that as well as the SS2 it can't possibly go wrong.....

Author:	Hupaand [ Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:34 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Are the Manzer wedge dimensions posted anywhere?

Author:	Paul Burner [ Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:50 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Hupaand, There are threads on the Manzer Wedge here on OLF - but limited information on the dimensions. I can tell you that I'm using approximately 1" of difference between the top and bottom edges with the normal drop from neck block to end block. Fred Tellier gave me a great way to figure my side profiles - here's the basic idea. I made 1" marks on my mold around the shape of the guitar I placed my mold on top of my 15" radius dish - and used wood blocks to raise it so the top edge of the mold was equal to where the top of my guitar would sit. I know that I like my neck block to be about 3.875" and my heel to be about 4.625 inches on the guitar I'm making - so I used blocks to raise the top of the mold to that height. Interesting part of this is that the blocks I used were from another mold and were the lower bout spreader blocks - which means they have a curved surface. With the mold sitting on the curved surface blocks I played with tilting the mold side-to-side so I had a 1" difference one side to the other. I used blocks to prop the one side higher - and voila - I had a visual reference of what the angles looked like I then took my calipers and used the metal stick end (not sure what it is called) to take measurements at those 1" marks around the mold. I wrote these down - and then using a computer software program (Adobe Illustrator) I created an illustration using the dimensions I wrote down. This was printed, cut out and used as a pattern for my sides. (I'm lucky to have a large format printer) I bent the wood being extra careful to make sure I had the sides in the proper orientation. I've got the sides in the mold now and am doing some preliminary sanding. I'll put the neck and heel blocks in next.

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Author:	Danny R. Little [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:29 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Paul: Thanks for posting. I have a set of bubinga, as well. I also have a bottle of super-soft II and I'm not afraid to use it. Was there any noticible coloration from the SSII when compared to the untreated back? Danny R. Little

Author:	Fred Tellier [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:11 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Hi Paul I am glad the measuring method worked out, as I said in the email sometimes the simple way is best. My current build an OM cutaway wedge is also figured Bubinga and bent well with the supersoft, I was really worried about bending the cutaway. Fred

Author:	Paul Burner [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:18 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
I forgot to mention that I did wet the sides and wrapped them in damp craft paper and put between my slats before I bent the wood.

Author:	Michael Dale Payne [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:23 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Danny R. Little wrote: Paul: Thanks for posting. I have a set of bubinga, as well. I also have a bottle of super-soft II and I'm not afraid to use it. Was there any noticible coloration from the SSII when compared to the untreated back? Danny R. Little SSII will not discolor the wood unless you heat the wood before the SSII has completely dried out.(with a couple excepts according to some but I have never had a single issue) this taked 24 hours min. the affect of SSII on the elastisity of the wood last 5-7 days

Author:	Bobc [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Paul glad to see you were successful bending the bubinga. If I can make a suggestion I would thin the sides on high figured woods to at least .080 to .085. makes a world of difference.

Author:	Paul Burner [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:51 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Bob.... thanks for the note. I was told (and read) that the Bubinga was prone to faceting and that I should leave it a little thicker to allow for some sanding. This is why I went with .095. Other sets I usually to .085. Hope all is well - Happy Thanksgiving to you (and everyone)

Author:	Christian Schmid [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:16 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a related question. I have a number of waterfall bubinga bindings. When bending the binding strips, should the same precautions be taken? I'm just not clear whether a 1/4" wide strip is more, less, or equally forgiving than a 5" wide side when trying to bend the wood. thanks, Christian

Author:	Paul Burner [ Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:23 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Christian Schmid wrote: I have a number of waterfall bubinga bindings. When bending the binding strips, should the same precautions be taken? I'm just not clear whether a 1/4" wide strip is more, less, or equally forgiving than a 5" wide side when trying to bend the wood. thanks, Christian Christian - sorry - I have no idea - but if it was me - I'd be using some SuperSoft II on those bindings.

Author:	TrueAxe [ Thu Nov 26, 2009 12:48 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
We bent some bubinga sides with success about a month or so ago with no super soft. They were definitly highly figured. Got em down to about 0.09 then went for it. Got er wet and then put it through the bending process.

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Author:	Mark Groza [ Thu Nov 26, 2009 12:18 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Success with bending Bubinga
Christian Schmid wrote: Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a related question. I have a number of waterfall bubinga bindings. When bending the binding strips, should the same precautions be taken? I'm just not clear whether a 1/4" wide strip is more, less, or equally forgiving than a 5" wide side when trying to bend the wood. thanks, Christian I find that when bending figured wood bindings which is really run-out,the same precausions should be taken.As they are also prone to breaking.I usually bend 5 of them just incase one breaks.