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Help please!! Trying to bend some ebony binding with a basswood laminate but the darn thing keeps separating. I'm not using water, and the pipe is at a temp that I normally have great success when bending ebony. Any advice or tips?

thanks,

Hey GN. I for one, have never been able to pipe bend laminated bindings. In a Fox style bender, the laminates are held together through the heating, bending & cooling process. Even if the glue lets go , it will re-set as the joint cools.

Have you tried with water? I had no trouble bending LMI's curly maple w/ rosewood lam on a pipe, dipping my hand in water and rubbing along the wood to wet it just before bending, and re-applying frequently as the pipe dries it off. Well, some splitting on the curls, but no delamination. Maybe being so gentle due to the curls helped avoid peeling the glue apart even if it did soften? Ebony may need to get hotter though, which would increase risk of delamination.

Well I'll let you know how my binding bend goes next week. I purchased the same ebony laminate bindings from LMI for a Cocobolo build and NOW... will probably also wait to route my channels until I know the bends went OK...

Kent

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The basswood separates a little bit from the ebony in the waist bend for an OM, even in a Fox style bender, on some pieces. Allow enough binding pieces so you can screw up some of them. At least that's how it goes for me.

Chris.

Thanks everyone. Wondering if it would work to bend them on the pipe as a group like you would with a bending machine. Figure a way to bind them all together where the waist bend will be so they help stay sandwiched. Thoughts??

Try bending all you pieces at once. Tape then together tightly, with the purfling on the inside.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Thanks, thats what I'm thinking. I also wonder if wrapping the bend with tin foil will help ease the bend and lessen the chance of a broken piece?

I<ve had the best results with using Titebond III to glue the side purfs onto the binding, Holds great even on pipe bending.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Ditto. Remember to put purfling against purfling (i.e., binding, purfling string, purfling strip, binding, binding, purfling strip, purfling strip, binding) so that you have two for the top and two for the bottom. Also, I here tell a steel spring slat or flashing as a backer when bending this way on a pipe is useful for avoiding cracks. Good luck.

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Aaron Craig

It all just sounds like a pipe dream, to me!

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Thanks everyone, did as recommended and had good results. Bent six at once taped together, wrapped in foil and with a metal backer. Only broke one (run out).

Thanks again, you guys rock!!