Bending ziricote'

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Bending ziricote'

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jlneng

Posts: 118
Joined: Jun. 28 2009

Bending ziricote'

Hi All,
I was wondering how thin I can sand a nice ziricote set of sides before bending. Building a Negra and trying to keep it light. With EIR I thickness them to 2mm. Would this be appropriate for ziricote'? I am using LMI bending machine...
John

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 24 2012 1:06:36

keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: Bending ziricote' (in reply to jlneng)

according to nick gibbs' "the real wood bible" zircote is easy to work with and maybe more so than the dalbergias.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 25 2012 20:27:27

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: Bending ziricote' (in reply to jlneng)

quote:

ORIGINAL: jlneng

Hi All,
I was wondering how thin I can sand a nice ziricote set of sides before bending. Building a Negra and trying to keep it light. With EIR I thickness them to 2mm. Would this be appropriate for ziricote'? I am using LMI bending machine...
John

I bought a set of Ziricote about 10 or more years ago and finally decided to use it last year. I sanded the sides to probably 1.5 mm and the first side broke as soon as it touched the bending iron. With the crazy grain it's hard to tell how much runout it has or if it was cut properly. After it broke it was quite obvious that these sides had severe runout so your experience may be completely different from mine. I don't blame the wood or my skill since it's far easier to blame the sawyer

; however since the wood is so hard and heavy I don't think it would hurt to go a little thinner than 2mm.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 25 2012 22:34:52

jlneng

Posts: 118
Joined: Jun. 28 2009

RE: Bending ziricote' (in reply to jshelton5040)

Thanks for the feedback. The set I have looks perfectly quarter sawn . Any recommendations for back thickness? this is a Negra, 1932 santos plan, German spruce top. This is the best ziricote set I have ever seen, and am looking forward to working with it.
Thanks,
John

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 25 2012 23:54:22

estebanana

Posts: 9367
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Bending ziricote' (in reply to jlneng)

John,

Whenever read your posts I have to hold my left hand over the screen were that flashing number dynamite is. FWIW it is hard to read your stuff. I fear explosive reprisals if you don't get the information you seek.

Do you have a silicon blanket? I've never bent Zirocote because I've never purchased any, I get seasick looking at it in luthier supply catalog's. I file it under 'one of those pretty woods', so I have never bent a set of Ziricote.

This is unfortunate because I can't give precise details on how to do it. But if you have a silicon blanket and you go slowly at about 300 degrees and thin your wood to about .070 most stubborn woods will bend.

Most of the hard woods that are dark, just saying in general, have this quality where when you heat them they won't bend, won't bend, won't bend and then all of a sudden they get plastic. You have to heat them carefully, evenly and watch and feel like a hawk for the instant when they go plastic. When it goes and you get it at the waist you have it made.

If you don't have a side bender or a silicon blanket get a backer piece of flexible metal or aluminum flashing behind the wood at the waist. Use gloves and hold a full width piece flashing on the outside of the rib as you work it over the bending iron. This support from behind provides enough surface tension on the opposite side of the rib to keep it more safe as you apply pressure. And once more feel for that moment when the wood goes plastic and keep it moving and hot.

If you have a silicon blanket but no bending machine you can carefully heat the rib in the waist area with the blanket and pick it up with gloves and back it with the flashing ( heat the flashing too) to give it a head start at getting hot on the bending iron.

These techniques work with any kind of wood that may have difficult grain structure or potential to break.

_____________________________

https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 26 2012 0:55:47

jlneng

Posts: 118
Joined: Jun. 28 2009

RE: Bending ziricote' (in reply to estebanana)

Hi S,
I would not worry about explosive anything from me.thanks for your comments. I have a nice LMI bending machine with silicon heating blankets for the waist and bouts. I have not had any trouble bending rosewood, but this will be a trip as this is a great set. My biggest question is thick back, big sound, or thin back, light guitar. I have only built a half dozen flamencos and this will be my first that is not made of cypress or rosewood. I am pairing the ziricote with German spruce top. Your comments really agree with what I was thinking about higher temps and elasticity of wood.
John

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 26 2012 4:35:54