Official Luthiers Forum!

Here is the latest Luthier Tips du Jour video - The topic is how to use Pandora's box to bend cutaway sides. This video as well as all my other videos are available via my website, http://www.obrienguitars.com/videos , LMI's website or on youtube.
Enjoy!

Hi Robbie,

Great video and fun as usual. I haven't had the pleasure of doing a cut-away yet, but will be sure to revisit you tutorial if/when the time comes.

Thanks,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Robbie: Nice video and interesting about steaming the sides. Good on you for helping Karen also. Thanks.
Tom

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

Well done, Robbie! Is there any benefit to using this approach over something like SuperSoft2? I've yet to tackle anything with such a high pucker factor and am curious about which might give me the better odds of success.

Also, if I move to Colorado, will my hair grow back nice and thick with that cool silver color everyone there seems to be sporting?

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George :-)

Excellent.

I've done this on scary wood before and it works. Perhaps I'm not crazy. First time I tried steam, I was kinda sorta following the Sloane book, and I tried clamping directly to a Sloane type form. It worked but i got some slight rippling. ((OK, i was an idiot and it was my first guitar) However, if you take it straight to a hot pipe to bend, everything gets ironed flat. Never used a bender, but obviously that works, and is probably optimum.

My steam box was uglier, and made from aluminum flashing and pop rivets. I used duct tape for sealing, but silicone would be better.

Not sure how it compares to supersoft, never used that stuff, but it makes wood pretty floppy.

I don't know if this works any better than using super soft 2. It is just another trick in your bag of tricks to help get a successful bend.

I recommend solid pine boards for the steam box. The plywood is delaminating because of the heat and steam. There's no need for rot resistance, and redwood or pressure treated wood might bleed, and discolor a light colored back and side set.