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Hi . First crack ( ooh jinx!! ) , at bending the stuff with my pipe..trying it for a tenor uke.. Have only been bending EIR, (chicken! )

....any advise( I have heard it can be tough) ....Thanks

I only tried one piece of Mahogany, when I first made my bending pipe, and I found it fairly compliant. You could really feel the Mahogany release when it got hot. It probably bends a little cooler than Rosewood. It will also scorch a little if it gets too hot. When I bent the piece I bent, I just spritzed it with water as I went along.

I'm sure someone else will chime in here. I'm really a novice at this.

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Hi Bream --

I'm just about to post up pics of my first two scratch builds, one of which has mahogany sides. Those are the second set of sides you'll see on there. The first set now live on top of a cabinet in my shop, as a reminder to not get in a hurry bending mahogany waists. They'll crimp on you in a hurry. The second set even did it to an extent. I suggest bending to either side of the waist centerline, slowly working your way in to the middle. Also, low temp and little water. Good luck!

Ken

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

Hi Bream, All of the above and welcome.

When I first bent a piece of wood on a pipe I was fortunate to have someone guide me. What I would suggest is use a scrape piece of wood 2mm or less in thickness and simply, wet and hold it on the pipe with a small amount of pressure toward the bend. You will feel the wood give when the temperature is right and the moisture/steam has saturate the wood. The wood will give like dough and bend where it contacts the pipe. Slow and easy will win the race here. I like to have the pipe hot enough to have a splash of water boil instantly when sprayed on the pipe. I also use a spray bottle to wet the wood during bending.

Good luck!

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

I have seen Mahogany that bends like butter and Mahogany that was one of the toughest bends that I have had to do and with lots of spring back..... So IMHO it varies from piece to piece.

I had better results bending on a pipe using a back strap to support the wood and help concentrate the heat and steam.

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Hesh
Ann Arbor, MI USA
http://www.heshtone.com

Thanks folks..I'll use my metal backstrap. I do remember reading somewhere about a lower temp than EIR, around 310 degress ( I have one of those little round temp guages that sits on the pipe...does that sound ballpark?)
Cheers,

You may get some release below 310 with mahogany, thought it will probably depend on the piece itself. Water boils at 212, so you'll be getting steam fast at 225 to 250. My guess that somewhere in the 250 to 300 range for HOG. But, that is just a guess. When I did it I didn't even have a temp gauge. I just started trying when the water jumped off the iron.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

With a pipe you ave varied means of heat control. How you move wood, how you add moisture, how hot you keep the pipe. you should be able to bend most Mahogany with you pipe temp around 270-290.