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I don't have a bender so I'm trying to bend some 2 mm thick curley Redwood using a steam box and maple form. It's not liking it too much. Any suggestions?

I have never done it but if I did my thinking would be that since curly redwood can have runout I would want it supported as well as possible. I know that you don't have a bender but I would explore finding someone in your area with one, using a blanket, and going at it.

not surprised at all redwood being a conifer is likely swelling out the kazoo. Sorry I can't hep when it comes to using a seam box.

I used to use a steam box when I was into wooden boat building. I didn't find them anywhere near as effective as using a bending machine or bending iron. In fact, if I went back to boat building I'd use a bending iron instead.

Is this curly redwood for sides?

or are trying to bend binding strips?

I don't know of any maker who has used curly redwood for a guitar body and i would think thats its a little soft for bindings being that its an area that gets knocked about alot.

If you could tell us what you have in mind maybe we could advise.

Also steam boxes don,t work to well for guitars becouse it saturates the wood with moisture which equales problems later.

There are some quick ways of making a hot pipe that someone else may be able to help with.

Joel.

surly not sides but that is the natural assumption, being this is a luthier forum. I know steam boxes have been used to bend sides but I would think that cupping would be a very big issue trying to bend a soft wood by steaming. Then the drying out time and shrinkage of a conifer after being steamed, not to mention the inherent issues with a soft wood for sides in the fist place. this sounds like a problem project from the get go.

Maple should go fairly ok but still watch out for cupping. Something will be needed to keep the sides cupping as they dry out.

so please do explain the project. It might help us give advise

Thanks for the input guys.

I'd like to start adding a headstock plate onto our "flat" headstocks. On electrics flat headstocks curve up and blend with the fingerboard. So I'm essencially trying to make something that looks a bit like a ski. The radius is 31.5 mm (1 1/4"). I need this to be accurate and repeatable. I don't have a lot of time to devote to building a bender which is why I tried the steam box today. I suppose a mini Fox type bender could be whipped up fairly quickly.

Hesh, could you explain how you would support the work piece?

Ha, good luck! I sold some sides to Gibson so they could make curly redwood guitar,
Thay gave up I have done it once by hand ,never again!
Lance

sounds like a job for a veneer thickness .03" not side thickness .09"

I never did get the redwood bent successfully. As it turns out, it wouldn't have worked anyway due to a blended curve by the B-string tuner. So the next best thing was to insert a block of pau ferro to match the fingerboard and machine that.

I'm happy with the results. Thanks for the input.

That looks really good, Sheldon. How about a peek at the whole bass?

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Carlton Macksam
Muskegon, Michigan

Wow, Sheldon, that's really beautiful. I dig.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Thanks guys.

Here you go Carlton.

Now, that's cool!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Really Funky.Ya gotta luv that.
James W B

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee