radrobgray Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 i know how to do it but when should i? i have a 1/8" peice of brazillian cherry i want to put on a guitar with a forearm contour. it will bend over the contour if i push on it with my hand(takes a decent amount of pressure). so i guess what i was wondering is since it will already make the bend without breaking should i still steam it or just glue it. also if i do steam it should i center join it before or after, this applies to my flame maple top too. thanks rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Water on the top where you want it to bend would be a better idea than steaming for something as small and simple as that. The water on the top will cause that area's fibers to expand, and thus bend. You'd rather have it WANT to be in the shape of the contour then forcing it and glueing and clamped, cause like that there will always be some force on that joint, whereas if you bend/warp it into place first there will be much less. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Join the top before you bend. When you steam it, just stay away from the centerseam. I'd steam it, clamp it in place with no glue, let it cool and dry for a day or two, pull it off and then glue it up before it has a chance to spring back too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Oh, yeah definately join the top before any bending procedure! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 You want heat to bend wood. Water is only going to help get the heat to the wood more efficiently. You can think of wood as fibers held together with glue. Much like hyde glue when you bring it to temp (generally about 250-300 degrees) it softens the glue. When the glue is soft it bends like butter. Much like hyde glue it sets back up as it cools,and thus it holds it's new shape. This is how sides are bent for acoustics. Generally with sides your thickness is .075-.090". In your case you are slightly thicker at .125", but not too much thicker. The trick to bending is to heat it till it softens. It will move easily when it is ready, and it will hold that new shape. As a suggestion you could use a thin sheet of metal(flexable) over the area. Spritz it with water. use a bit of tape to seal the sheet of metal. This will contain the steam and make it much more effective. A heat gun as a source is more than sufficient, but if you have a heat blanket it will be even more effective. Just keep moving the heat around, and watch for a bit of steam and sizzle. That will tell you it is close to being ready. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrobgray Posted November 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 thank you very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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