Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm doing my first "batch" of guitars. My first was a cutaway. When not doing a cutaway have any of you bent both sides of the guitar in a Fox-type bender at once? If so any suggestions?

Yeah, I know, I'm just lazy!!

Danny R. Little

no it don't work. Trying to stack bend will distort the radii.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

has to be side by side .. I saw one of deJonges kids building a double width form one time ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I used to do all mine that way when I bent with light bulbs. When I switched to a blanket, I went down to doing one at a time. No problems doing two. Only thing is, if your bender has a lot of built in resistance (mine had spring loaded slats) you need an acme screw as opposed to a threaded rod.

edit: yes, side by side.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Thank you gentlemen. I will do them one at a time. My bending form is only 5 1/2" wide.

And John, I need a blanket (I was on your site yesterday, doing the pricing). I used a light bulb form for the first one. It did fine with the walnut sides, but one of my new ones is figured bubinga, two figured maples, two figured white oak, and another walnut. Can I use the bulbs for the bottom and 1 blanket on the top? The bulbs don't ramp up heat as quickly and I have read the recent threads on bubinga sides (wringing of hands). What do you think?

Danny R. Little

With a bulb bender, I have done side by side with no issues.

I don't know much about the blankets (haven't shopped for that toy yet) but I would think that combining bulb and blanket would make things too unpredictable (I am just a bit paranoid sometimes). I would go with just a blanket if you can.


-Matthew

Danny, all the heating blankets and stainless steel slats that I've seen or heard about for lutherie are 6" wide (they may make them in 5.5", what do I know?), so your bender form/jig may not be wide enough as-is. Also, with a heating blanket, you won't need the bulbs at all.

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

Thanks, Dave. The blanket I intend to order from John is 6" x 36" so I will have to rebuild my form. It needed a few improvements anyway!!

Now, if I can just get some time in the shop.


Danny R. Little