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I have read in an old thread that over-dampening with water will cause the sides to become rippled and from experience with rosewood in my first build it certainly happened. Then I used a water bath to soften the sides before clamping. I was never happy with this method as it seemed to lack control. I guess it removed natural oil but that seemed a shame to me, intuitively as well.
Am I right in thinking that boiling sides in a water bath is not the 'best' way to prepare the sides for bending? For cypress in particular? Members have referred to overwatering and a critical point in the temperature for bending. I'm thinking that more control will come from the bending iron. I had to build the guitar with the sides under tension and again, intuitively, I didn't like that either!
I am going to make a bending iron for bandings etc either using a hot air blower or soldering iron and a copper tube but maybe I could extend the technology to do sides too?
If anyone knows a good link, like the French Polishing one :-) that would be great. I'm almost there.
RE: Water bath or bending iron (in reply to El Burdo)
Boiling sides ugh, that is the worst way I have ever seen to bend sides, I know it's in the Sloane book but do yourself a favour and pass on it. It takes very little water to make steam and that is what bends wood the best, IR will bend like butter. All you need is a pipe clamped safely to a bench so you don't burn the house down, with a heat source hot enough to make drops of water sizzle off. A damp cloth between the iron and wood is more then enough water to get you your steam.
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Joined: Jan. 19 2011
From: The Netherlands
RE: Water bath or bending iron (in reply to El Burdo)
some people even bend rosewood sides completely dry.
make sure u take your time, it takes a while for the wood fibre's to become soft and felxible, even if you use little water it doesnt happen instantly.
RE: Water bath or bending iron (in reply to El Burdo)
Don't boil! Wipe them with a damp cloth and then bend right away. This turns the water to steam in the cell walls of the wood and makes them soft enough to bend.
RE: Water bath or bending iron (in reply to estebanana)
Well it's clear that bending is the way. Thanks for the advice - looking forward to it. I think cypress is a little harder to bend, so I'm just going to take it easy.
RE: Water bath or bending iron (in reply to El Burdo)
Cypress is stubborn. If it gets to hot, it wont bend. If it gets to hot, there´s only one way. Put it aside and wait some hours before you continue bending. I you continue bending cypress which is to hot, it´ll get scorched and the bend wont have a fair line.
And on all woods, just a bit of water, with a sprayer, a cloth whatever. No bathing, boiling or whatever
RE: Water bath or bending iron (in reply to estebanana)
I? What are you saying, I? Shouldn't there be more? :-)
I'm going to try and develop a sense of touch, the feel of the 'give' and see if I can detect the reluctance in the wood. I'll cut my sides and use the excess as a practice I think.
RE: Water bath or bending iron (in reply to El Burdo)
Its not difficult. You just have to know. When the cypres starts getting plastic, bend a bit and move. move. Dont stay in one spot and lift away. Take it easy and go slow. Move and lift away. Its like dancing. The biggest problem is when you try to bend cypress when its to hot. Thats really bad.
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