Wrinkles, Crinkles Creases and Cracks

Timbuck

Timbuck

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Last year I had a problem with some West African Mahogany..when bending the sides I was getting these nasty compression fractures..I've just gone back to the same batch to give it another go...This time I made them thinner than before Down to .0625" (1/16") and I increased the heat on the bender by about 10%...And success at last, first set came out perfect.
:smileybounce:
 
I thought this thread was going to be a song about growing old! :cool:
 
Timbuck said:
This time I made them thinner than before Down to .0625" (1/16") and I increased the heat on the bender by about 10%..
Click to expand...

Yup. Yup. But getting down close to .0600 is getting mighty, mighty thin. I become paranoid at that level of thinness. But you know what? Plenty of meat left for sanding. (Wakes up screaming as I sand through a side.)... I just read a book on building ukes that said "The sides should be sanded to a thickness of 0.095 thickness before bending". Ha ha ha! Good luck with that... It a thin line though isn't it? I'm aiming at 0.070 to 75 and that seems to work for most everything so far and allow me to sleep at night.
 
sequoia said:
Yup. Yup. But getting down close to .0600 is getting mighty, mighty thin. I become paranoid at that level of thinness. But you know what? Plenty of meat left for sanding. (Wakes up screaming as I sand through a side.)... I just read a book on building ukes that said "The sides should be sanded to a thickness of 0.095 thickness before bending". Ha ha ha! Good luck with that... It a thin line though isn't it? I'm aiming at 0.070 to 75 and that seems to work for most everything so far and allow me to sleep at night.
Click to expand...
Ive been making my backs and sides at .075" for years..But all my tops are .0625" and I have to cut a rosette channel into that without breaking through :)...I've done repairs on old Island Koa ukes and some of the sides are down to .050" ...I call that thin ;)
 
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Torres went as thin as that and on sides which are much deeper than found on a Uke. It is a risk though. You sleep better at night if it's just your personal instrument, less so if it's commercial.
 
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