My New Side Bender

[Daniel Sorbera]

Just completed the new bender. It has 2 silicone heat blankets and .007 steel shim stock to support the wood. It heats up to exactly 290 in about 15 seconds and holds the temp perfectly. We used some long eyebolts to clamp down the sides. It has a removable piece for the cutaway.

picture 2

picture 3

[Prostheta]

I really like the removable cutaway pieces...very economical! How's the stain on your bench Daniel? ;-D

[Daniel Sorbera]

Still there sadly.

[Andronico]

Very intelligent idea, removable cutaway pieces for the bender !

[carousel182]

very nice, its almost exactly like mine.

[GoodWood]

Hey, is that the steel that bends back into shape? Where do you get that stuff?

[Daniel Sorbera]

It's .007 tempered steel being sold as "shim stock". It has no memory whatsoever, I tried to bend it very tightly and hold it there and it springs back strait perfectly.

You don't even want to know what I paid for it.

[Rick500]

Nice job. Looks great.

Is that steel the same as this stuff?

[fryovanni]

Looks great Daniel! You are going to love the ease and quality of bends from blankets.

A couple things that I might offer as suggestions. Adding a few extra cross slats in tighter beds is a good idea. Also I added a sheet of steel that covers the width of the form. This adds extra support and will smooth out your sides a bit (very nice), and will especially help prevent cracking or poor bending around the horn and cutoway. Simple added feature, and makes very thin slats like the ones you are using perform better(and those thin slats are great for bending cutoways)

Peace,Rich

[GoodWood]

Nice job. Looks great.

Is that steel the same as this stuff?

Lol, now I just need it in 70 " rolls! LOL Thats about the same price as you find elsewhere online. I suppose if it was thicker you could make swords out of it.

Edited April 4, 2008 by GoodWood

[Prostheta]

Wobbly rapiers? ;-D

[JJ Donohue]

Great idea on the cutaway conversion...I like it.

Blues Creek Guitars has steel slats as well as Silicone Blankets and many other supplies for our addiction. Check out the site. John Hall is one of the best guys in the guitar industry. Tell him JJ sent you...you won't be disappointed.

[Daniel Sorbera]

Nice job. Looks great.

Is that steel the same as this stuff?

Yep that is exactly what I bought

Except I selected UPS ground, and they sent it out next day air and charged me for it.

Yeah I was thinking I should get thicker steel that doesn't spring back and line the bender with it to provide extra support. I guess I'll do that now that you say it's a good idea.

[Rick500]

Please be sure to post pics when you're done... I want to build one eventually and I'm kind of using yours as the plan.

[Daniel Sorbera]

Ok I'll be sure to post some pictures detailing how it's built.

[pariah223]

ive got a quick question relating to this topic. I am almost to the point of attempting to bend sides.. soundboard is just about done, so then i gota do the back and then its time to bend. I see that alot of people use these jigs as opposed to free bending. Is it really that hard to free bend wood over a hot pipe? or is this way just so much easier its worth the time and effort and money to build one and avoid the heartache of cracking a nice piece of wood

[erikbojerik]

Having done both, I like the jig & blankets much better.

[carousel182]

jigs and blankets are a much faster process, but pipe is definitely doable (obviously.)

[Daniel Sorbera]

It's not too bad, but it's not any fun either. I've done 3 guitars with a pipe, and I never want to do it again, hence this jig.

[Ptt-Guitars]

Does anyone know a supplier here in Australia, preferably Melbourne, that stocks the silicone heat blankets? What's the dimensions of your blanket Daniel? Cheers..

[Daniel Sorbera]

5"x35"

Not sure on the Au supplier, but thats the size.

[RGman]

Does anyone know a supplier here in Australia, preferably Melbourne, that stocks the silicone heat blankets? What's the dimensions of your blanket Daniel? Cheers..

I wouldn't mind knowing too, all major suppliers only sell the Ibex bending iron

Not sure where else you could get them?

[Mattia]

Check if any of the big manufacturers (Omega, MINCO, Benchmark Thermal) have local distributors. I found, even before the crazy low dollar, that it was worth ordering them from the US, and if need be get a transformer to run them.

Re: why use this instead of bend by hand, the basic reason (for me) is reliable, perfectly symmterical bends and a lower risk of ever breaking anything. You apply heat evenly across the FULL width of the side, everywhere, and bend it so in conforms very nicely to the carefully made mold. And the first set of highly figured weird stuff you don't break/crack because you invested 100 bucks (or less) in a blanket, and the tool's basically paid for itself.

[Daniel Sorbera]

I just used it for the first time today.

After letting the metal/heatblankets come up to temp (270F) I put the (soaked) wood in and immediately started bending, waist first, than lower bout, than upper bout/cutaway, at that point the blankets were turned off and it cooled for an hour before taking it out of the bender.

What I got was less than perfect, some scorching and quite a bit of spring back.

Any suggestions on how to use it better?

[Kenny]

a luthier by the name of jack stone (instructor at a local university) came by out school and did a demonstration say that when he did it (his was heated by a lightbulb or 2) he soaked the wood for a good 5 mins (it was mahagony) fwiw, i havent attempted anything regarding acoustics yet so im not sure if that makes a difference

but then he bent the wood, and said to keep it in place for a few hours

but i dont remember exactly

maybe this will help

as far as the scortching goes he used alluminum that was bent into the shape, and the identical shape to press down (i think mdf) the alluminum was heated with a bulb, there was almost no burns when it came out

but again, i dont know