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Well, in my wisdom and ignorance, apparently, I decided to use Australian Lace Wood bindings on my #2 guitar. So far, I have broken two pieces trying to bend on a pipe, which is all I have for bending. Does anyone have any secrets for bending this stuff. It does not seem to relax like other things I have bent, which isn't much. Maybe I should tape pieces together, but my experience dong that on my last guitar was disastrous. This time, though I do not have any purflings attached to the binding, and that was the problem last time. I got all the purflings bent the other day, without a hitch. Does anyone know if this stuff likes to be wet or dry, what temp, etc.?

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Waddy

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Well what I would do is to thin them as much as possible. I typically bend at 2, max 2.2mm, but I think 1.8 would help for stubborn wood.
You can also assist the bending iron by applying heat from above with a clothes iron (set on low, high settings burn wood easily). A second person to help is good to have.

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Build log

Thanks, Alex. They are at 2mm now. I suppose I could thin them some, but I don't know how much thinner than 2 I would want them. They seem to break at the places where the "scales" are in the wood.
Doug Ingram suggested (over at DelCamp) that I thin way down, and laminate them together, that they would look like solid linings after glued in place.

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Waddy

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I would discard them completely and try curly maple or koa, OR try to thin to as low as 1.5mm, and double with maple veneer which will send you back to 2mm. From a distance it should look like a solid blond band. I am trying smth of this sort on my current build, the first purfling line is bloodwood next to the RW binding. From a distance it should looks like a bold 2.5mm binding, from up-close, like a nice inlay contrast. Or at least I hope that.

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Build log

They are a bit of a pain to bend Waddy, and I've gone through a bit, but then it's not really much of an issue if you break a couple here, as it easy to come by.

I didn't have much luck at anything thicker than 2 mm. And finding pieces that don't have overly large figure helps. But probably not in your case. Thinner and laminating is about all I can think of. Good luck.

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

Alex, dumping them is a possibility, but I already did the back strip in this stuff, and wanted the bindings to match. Maybe thinner will work, or laminating. Just hate to waste the stuff.

Thanks Allen. I may try soaking a piece and see what happens. Maybe it will turn to rubber!

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Waddy

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You could try Super Soft.It`s worked for me on super curly blackwood bindings.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Super-Soft II, water and going slow, got it done. I think there are a few hairline cracks at some of the scales, but I'm pretty sure they'll go away when I install and glue up. I sprayed them down with SSII and llet them dry for a couple of days. Spritzed them with water on the inside of the bends, and used pretty light pressure. Theys seemed to do best at about 350*.

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Waddy

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You're not soaking them now? Try that. I have yet to use lacewood as binding but I have for sides and remember it was a bear to work with, the stuff is very brittle. But the beauty of it is well worth it. In fact on my current build I have lacewood bindings speced out. I thought they would be much easier to bend then the sides but perhaps not. Maybe you need to increase the heat too.

No, I never soaked them, but SSII seemed to make them bend a little more readily, though still not easy. Patience is the key. You really have to let the stuff get good and hot. As I said, 350* seems pretty good. They start to burn at about 375 - 400*.

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Waddy

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