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I'm looking at a future build with Black Ebony and am wondering if there are any problems/cautions with bending this wood on my Blue's Creek bending machine.

I'll be making a Florentine cutaway on this so no tight cutaway bend is required.

Looking for input on side thickness and temperature for the bend.

I should be talking to Hesh as this will be our first "black top" guitar. We're going natural Black Ebony sides and back - think it will look great. Now if I could just keep my shop clean like Hesh.

Thanks in advance.

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

Paul, I haven't tried an ebony side (never seen a piece of ebony side material), but I have bent ebony binding for about 8 guitars including a double cutaway electric with a radius of about
1 1/4". I bend the binding for dred or OM at around .08, and for the double cutaway I thinned to .06. I use a fox style bender with blanket, wrap the wood in Kraft paper, wet it down, heat it to sizzlin' and bend. No problems so far.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Paul i just bend some sets of ebony using the same technique I use for other hardwoods that have no resin or oils in them.
Temp.as hot as you can get the bender.
Sprits the sides with water -do not get them dripping wet.
Do the waiste area first-go slow and get a feel of any resistance from the bending-stop if you have to; to let the side settle into it's new shape for a few seconds-then proceed.
I broke no sets !
I would not try them dry-I did some practice runs and dry broke fast!
.075-.080 thick
Mike

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Mike Collins