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Anyone know how to do a bent top lamination? I haven't made an electric since my student guitar at RV, and want to make a Strat-ish thing, with a bent top cap with bevel. I know some makers bend down the 1/4" lamination for for the arm bevel. What's the methodology, if you do not want to bind the guitar? (I'm aware in one instance of kerfing the underside in that area, but then you'd have to hide the kerfs.

Thanks in advance,

David

Hi Dave,
Short answer:
You can bend 1/4" on a bending iron.

Long answer:
I just did one two months ago. The body is ash, I machined it to final size and shape and then cut the arm bevel to a sharp line. My top is 1/4" figured maple book matched. The two pieces were jointed, I marked the bevel line on the appropriate piece and then used my bending iron to form the bevel on that half. The bending iron is of the 2" pipe 6" long charcoal starter for heat variety. It takes quite a bit of heat and muscle to bend at 1/4" but I was able to do it without charring the wood. I heated it for a bit and then spritzed with hot water from a spray bottle, repeat.
The bevel ends too close to the centerline of the body which caused me to rework the edge of the bent panel a bit to get the joint back in order. The sharp line on the body was sanded to match radius of the bend in the cap. I glued the bent half of the cap to the body first using alignment pins to hold it on center. Once those clamps were in place I glued and clamped on the other half, first snug to the body then tight across the joint and finally tight to the body.

Steve

Have not done this one myself, but I want to try it. Instead of the usual kerf, use a V-shaped gouge to score parallel lines across the underside of the drop top. When the top is glued, the kerfs should disappear.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

you can just use a house iron. Let us see it when you are don David.

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Ken