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I'm attempting to bend some bloodwood binding for the I.D. of the soundhole on my next guitar. After about 15 minutes of spritzing the binding and running it across the pipe, spritzing some more, etc. I was starting to get a little bit of shape (very little), before it finally snapped.

So I'm wondering how do you all do it?

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

You need to bend with a thin sheet metal backing. I use large stainless steel hose clamps.   
Fully support the binding with the sheet metal. You might need to do it in 2 or 3 sessions.
I also use a cylinder (empty vitamin container) close to the size of the soundhole and hold it on to the cylinder with rubber bands overnight.
You might also need to make it thinner.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Hose clamps.

That would have made my attempt a lot easier. It's always a good day when you learn something new.

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Allen R. McFarlen
Barron River Guitars & Ukuleles
Facebook
Cairns, Australia

I cheat and circle cut mine ...

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Maybe it is the bloodwood? Is it harder to bend? At .05 or .06 most woods will bend into a 2 1/2 inch circle pretty easily. I usually wrap it around the pipe tightly and the spring back will make it a little smaller than the soundhole. I don't run it back and forth like a side but just slowly let itself wrap around with medium pressure. There is a little scorching sometimes, but it comes off easily.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

My first bindings were bloodwood and I had no problems. I am using an old 15W hair iron. It's slow but it works well with patience.  No water needed.  Recently I bent IRW and it works a little easier. 

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Build log

Bloodwood is a bit trickier to bend specially in tight curves. I have had my share or hard times with it. Try a circle cutter and cut it from a board instead of bending it.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Not sure that the hose clamps idea will work for me (unless I'm misunderstanding their purpose),since my pipe has the different radius' on each side.

Any suggestions on where to purchase the sheetmetal backing?

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Hi Blain,

Maybe you can find a tin can about the right size.

And, use a silicone heating blanket with .010" thick blue spring steel slats. Once the wood becomes plastic from the heat, roll it up slowly (using welder's gloves or oven mitts), and with your third hand, tie it off with soft wire like copper wire. (A pair of hose clamps would work too.)




This is an offset soundhole with 3 layers (Walnut, Maple, Katalox) bent around the can, to appear as purfling from the top. The binding was a piece of Katalox binding with attached purfling veneers, so I got purfling on the inside edge of the soundhole too.




Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

[QUOTE=blain1976] Not sure that the hose clamps idea will work for me (unless I'm misunderstanding their purpose),since my pipe has the different radius' on each side......[/QUOTE]
I have the standard bending iron with different radus' also.

Here is a picture of the clamps I mentioned. This is flamed maple, much harder to deal with than blood wood IMO.



Here is the (un)finished product-



Here is a bloodwood on koa that I bent the same way -

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

That's a very cool effect.

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Allen R. McFarlen
Barron River Guitars & Ukuleles
Facebook
Cairns, Australia

[QUOTE=DennisLeahy] and with your third hand, tie it off with soft wire like copper wire. (A pair of hose clamps would work too.)
Dennis[/QUOTE]

I like that. I'll have to see if I can find a thrid hand so that I can get this right.

Thanks for all the tip on using a heating blanket and a can. I had thought of using a heating blanket to try and heat it up, but had not thought about wraping it around a can.

I'll give the hose clamps a try too.

Great pictures of your guitars Dennis and Steve!
Very nice!

Thanks again. I'll give it another shot tonight.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."