Wood advise for first Venetian cutaway

Parto · Mar 16, 2018

For my next build I plan on building a Venetian cutaway. It will be a tight bend (using blanket and fox bender) but can anyone suggest a wood to use (that is less likely to break) and how much extra to take off the thickness in this area.

I have mahogany, walnut, maple, rosewood and koa as options but am always looking for an excuse to buy more tonewood if there are more appropriate choices out there ☺

printer2 · Mar 17, 2018

It depends on the piece of wood, some of the species will be difficult while others not. I would go for walnut and mahogany before the rosewood and koa but others think EIR an easy wood to bend (I haven't used any yet). I have done a Venetian for guitar and I went from 0.085" down to 0.055" if that gives yo a relationship to the size of the instrument you plan and what you bend sides at.

BR Ukuleles · Mar 17, 2018

If you have a bending iron, then I highly recommend using that for the cutaway. You will have far more feel and control of that very tight bend.

Mahogany can be quite difficult to bend. Maple us usually very easy. For the very tightest part of the bend I'd be taking it down to 1.3 - 1.5mm. In arch top guitars Bennedeto recommends that area at 1.7mm as a reference.

Ken Franklin · Mar 18, 2018

If you have trouble you can always thin to about 1mm and do double sides. But you shouldn't have much trouble with EIR at 1.6mm.

Parto · Mar 18, 2018

Thanks all for the advise. I thought mahogany may be tricky so might start with the maple as I only have one set of EIR left.

sequoia · Mar 20, 2018

Just as a suggestion, you might do a Florentine hard cuttaway instead which is easier I think and to my eye actually looks better. It does away with all that tight bending. Just bend sides as usual and cut out the cuttaway and reverse and viola! a cuttaway. Of course it has to be jointed and therein lies the problemo, but I did it and I'm no luthier which says something. Some reinforcing splines and some perfling to hide the sins and you are home. Consider it.

Briangriffinukuleles · Mar 21, 2018

If you use maple, for goodness sake, don't use figured maple. In my experience Cocobolo bends easier than anything, And I agree, use the iron so you can feel the bend.

Parto · Mar 21, 2018

I had considered doing a florentine but to my eyes I think the venetian looks better. That said perhaps a florentine is a better place to start... I built the mold at the weekend and it does look a scarily tight bend so I might need to go back to the drawing board.

sequoia · Mar 22, 2018

Parto said:
I had considered doing a florentine but to my eyes I think the venetian looks better. That said perhaps a florentine is a better place to start... I built the mold at the weekend and it does look a scarily tight bend so I might need to go back to the drawing board.

Don't forget to send pictures. Us uke nerds like to see pictures of molds. We know the work that goes into making them and how important they are. No matter how ugly!

printer2 · Mar 22, 2018

Parto said:
I had considered doing a florentine but to my eyes I think the venetian looks better. That said perhaps a florentine is a better place to start... I built the mold at the weekend and it does look a scarily tight bend so I might need to go back to the drawing board.

Try a Venetian cutaway and if it breaks convert it to a Florentine if you have enough length.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Mar 22, 2018

I thin (scrap) the cutaway area down then laminate it back to normal thickness (which is 0.080").

For the sharp cutaways, i either just laminate it or bend it at full thickness, depending on the species.

Parto · Mar 23, 2018

Thanks all the advise. I will give it a go but am not particularly hopeful. As Beau suggests I will scrape the area thin and IF successful will reinforce on the inside of the bend.

I might build a side bending jig similar to what I have seen mandolin builders use - using some Veritas wonder dogs I have and a smaller 4" heating blanket. Hopefully this will give a bit more feel whilst still supporting the bend on both sides with shim steel.

Parto · Mar 25, 2018

Sequoia, here are the forms and basic mold. It needs more work before fitted to a solera as going with a Spanish heel on this one.

sequoia · Mar 26, 2018

Parto said:
Sequoia, here are the forms and basic mold. It needs more work before fitted to a solera as going with a Spanish heel on this one.
View attachment 107586

Sorry, I'm stupid sometimes: What is a solera?... That is a gonna be one tight bend with solid wood. I would never attempt it actually. Failure City. Have you considered doing plywood sides? And don't forget the ammonia trick. Anyway, good luck and send pitchers! Oh and lastly: why the cutout? Nobody needs a cut out to play high on an uke and really isn't it all about art and style? Nothing wrong with that, but at what cost?

Parto · Apr 3, 2018

So I chickened out for this one and decided to skip the cutaway and use a nice set of koa instead. I have all molds ready so may give it ago another time.

sequoia · Apr 5, 2018

Parto said:
So I chickened out for this one and decided to skip the cutaway and use a nice set of koa instead. I have all molds ready so may give it ago another time.
View attachment 107818

I like the shape. Very nice. Pretty wood too.

Wood advise for first Venetian cutaway

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