Official Luthiers Forum!

Postby Bill Dillon » Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:35 am
I need some help, hints, advice. I'm new at lutherie and after building one perfectly satisfactory classical guitar at a lutherie school in Vermont last year, am now working on two ukulele's and one classical guitar. I've reached the point where I have cut/routed the channels for the purflings and bindings and am now attempting to bend them to the correct shape. I'm using an LMI teardrop electric bending iron (which worked fine on bending the sides) and having a bad time with the bindings breaking as I try to bend them. The bindings are rosewood 0.080. I've tried bending them dry and wetting them. Once or twice I've been able to "feel" them let go a bit and bend. but then the break before I get them bent enough to fit the uke waist. Any suggestions any of you might have will be most appreciated. Thanks, Bill

Bill Dillon

Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:56 pm

Try to find a 6"x4" piece of spring steel to support the back as you bend. Tape them all together and bend them all at once...

Welcome to the OLF...

I always bend by hand, and mostly dry. I usually make up a raft of binding and purfling strips and laminates, putting the purflings between strips of binding. Lots of tape, particularly in the tight bend areas like the waist. Not thick, but cover the area. Make sure the wood gets hot enough. You can always feel it give. Usually I bend pretty hot -close to 400*, The little bit of scorching comes right off.

_________________
Waddy

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.080 is 2 mm in my book, which is fine for bending bandings. It suggests that either the iron isn't getting hot enough or you are trying to make the bend before the heat has penetrated the wood thoroughly. Let the particular section of wood get seriously hot before applying any bending pressure.
It's probably easier to soak the bandings for a while. Just don't do that with Sides.

I posted this request on three forums and received several excellent and useful suggestions. THANK YOU, EACH OF YOU, FOR YOUR HELP!

I'll add that I have more trouble bending bindings than I do with sides. I think what is happening is that the narrow bindings are more flexible feeling than a wide side which makes me feel like I can start bending before the wood is actually ready. I try to remind myself to slow down when I bend bindings and make sure I actually am feeling it relax.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Don't forget SuperSoft II. Awesome product for bending. I use a home made bending iron for adjustments. But I bend my bindings in the same Fox bender/form that I used to create the sides. I can make adjustments on the iron pipe bender as needed. Since SuperSoft II requires a day to prepare the wood, I would do these ahead of time so that you don't hit a dead spot during the build. The Rosewood will probably bleed, but not to worry.

Mike