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Does anyone have any experience bending laburnum?
If so, please share.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I/ve used laburnum when I LIVED IN VANCOUVER BC. 1988.I/ve used it .but not bent it . I would thin it to abt 2.5mm if 1/4 sawn and do some test bends . spray with water.IF i remember correctly it has abt the same density as american walnut.But the uk variety might be harder or softer??

Harder than Walnut, by quite a margin. At least the UK stuff that I have is, similar to Oak at a guess.

I've used it for finger boards and I love the stuff. The UK stuff is very hard, like ebony.
I've seen a couple of wide pieces for sale and I'm wondering about back and sides for the 2014 Native Wood Challenge. I'm just a bit dubious about it's bending potential.
I guessing that there's not many who have tried?

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who has used it for sides. It's very difficult to get hold of in clear stock and suitable widths. I don't think it's as hard as Ebony, at least the stuff that I've come across isn't. I've used it for fretboards too.
Anyway, Ebony is very occasionally used for sides so I can't see Laburnum being any harder to bend.

Yes, you're right, it's nowhere near as hard as ebony. Janka Hardness Ebony: 13,700 N, Laburnum 8.990 N (Wood Database).
I'm going to look at some pieces next weekend, from the photos they look promising. http://www.lanarkshirehardwoods.co.uk/p ... zwtw4Zwbcs

I really fancy using it for the body. Fingers crossed.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Joe , the laburnum wood i cut , was a tree on our property in surrey BC canada. I was doing a lot of furniture at the time. If it is as hard as michael says, then the uk variety is much harder . I got narrow pieces 3-4 in wide at that time. For your first bending session you might want to thin the stock to .080 or 2 mm , You will find it easier to bend. I use a three part laminate for a lot of my sides e.g. .075 and the 2 .022 veneers .Makes for a vy stiff side needing vy little clamping to hold in place inside the mold. Making it much easier to assemble. Gud luck and cheers from the midwest.

Thanks, Ernie, If I buy the piece I might do as you suggest.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I seem to recall some info that the seeds of laburnum are toxic.....does this extend to the wood at all??
Anything to be concerned about in that regard as to working or sanding?
I have a bit that I was thinking about using for marquetry work.
Thanks!

It is toxic, read the WDB http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-ide ... /laburnum/
I've heard that too much exposure to dust has bad effect on the brain so I always wear a mask when sanding, scraping, cutting.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

That/s why I cut the tree down in surrey , we had a laburnum growing on the side of our house the branches extended over a large front 2nd story gallery , the long pods and seeds were dumped all over the gallery. Our son was 1 at the time , and needless to say , he stuck everything in his mouth.The tree was a liability with its vy toxic seeds. Joe practice the technique of laminating using either a mold with the side template outline and a lot of 3/4in by 1 in mdf cauls to glue the veneers .I use a brown 2 part veneer glue mixed with water that has a 30 min window..Here it/s called uf glue and a few other names. Don/t know what it/s called in the uk but it/s hard and waterproof.

Sympathise with your child-friendly paranoia, I've 2 of my own.
Why is 2 part veneer glue better than Titebond, for example?

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I/ve used titebond . regular to laminate and it sets up in 5 min. Not enough time for this slow poke to put in abt 15 cauls and the bessey clamps . it takes me abt 12 min. Also with the titebond I/ve had gaps which I had to redo. The UF glue gives you 30minutes of open time so you can recheck for gaps anomalies etc. and your clamping pressure . The uf glue dries glass hard. One has to mix carefully to get the right consisitency . I started with titebond but prefer UF . Others use boatbuilding epoxy with a 30 minute open time .Lots of brands here in the usa. Plus there are many ways to laminate your sides . Mr romanillos has also mentioned using laburnum for headstock veneers on cl gtrs. I/m guessing it could be used as binding with lighter rib/side wood . Gud luck with it.