Frying sides...

Pete Howlett

Pete Howlett

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C'mon folks; lets have a confessional! How many of you have fried sides in a side bender? I did it with a cherry set today... stood in my assembly room and could smell bar-b-q wood in the making coming from the workroom:biglaugh: I am so glad it wasn't a 5A koa set!:shaka:
 
Last edited:
fried.

Been there done that believe it or not only once. (on my 1st try! haha)

I have sense been using steam. Its working pretty well.

I'm looking to try out a new steamer idea tho, (not sure its new, I'm sure its been done before. I know a guy who makes recurved bows this way.)

Put the wood in a PVC pipe, and place a small hole in one end. then attach a wall paper steamer to the other end and steam it. His wood comes out pretty soft.

I then intend to just put in in the mold....?

Any one see any danger in this?
 
I haven't done it for about a year but I did it just last week on a 5A set. I blame this forum for that since I usually check for new posts in between steps, while glue is drying or in this case while the sides were cooking. I think I was probably arguing with Pete about something at the time and got distracted. Just one more reason to get the computer out of the shop!
The toasted area was only at the lower end so I simply cut it off and turned it into a soprano.
 
Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
I haven't done it for about a year but I did it just last week on a 5A set. I blame this forum for that since I usually check for new posts in between steps, while glue is drying or in this case while the sides were cooking. I think I was probably arguing with Pete about something at the time and got distracted. Just one more reason to get the computer out of the shop!
The toasted area was only at the lower end so I simply cut it off and turned it into a soprano.
Click to expand...

Uh oh! UU is to blame! *hides*
 
Never used a heat blanket and form for bending. But, I have fried wraps on the pipe many, many times. Koa's not bad, but stuff like mahogany and ebony are horrible. Mahogany burns really quick, when I get the pipe hot enough. Turn down the heat and I have to deal with cracks. Ebony, on the other hand takes forever to heat up, even when the pipe is crackling hot. I end up making a bunch of little bends, over and over, until I get the right shape.
 
I don't use the fox bender's yet but I managed to really mess up a mahogany side piece on my bending iron, no amount of sanding/reversing would help, It was my fault having just bent a walnut side that behaved more reasonably I hadn't made the mental switch. Since the mahogany set was for my own use it is now a completed tenor uke body that will serve as a lesson in humility.
 
I've done it twice on my home built Halogen bender, mainly trying to find the Ideal settings....So now I've rigged up a "Thermal cut out device" from off an old Electric oven connected alongside an A/C relay switch....when it reaches the pre-set tempreature it automaticly switches off at the mains and cools down.
 
I really love the non-luthier input in this forum. Keep it up chaps :nana:
 
Confused :confused:Permanent condition Chuck. I use facebook to see what my children are doing and now, horror of horrors, my wife has learnt how to use the technology:eek: and posted our wedding picture taken back in the 70's!!!!
 
I just looked for that picture on FB but couldn't find it. I know a British tabloid that's offering $5 for it.
Now, is this off-topic enough for you?
(I gotta get this computer out of the shop!)
 
:uhoh: Pardon my newbieness, I never even noticed this was the luthier's lounge. I only look at the threads' subject lines in "today's posts" and never paid any attention to that far right column. :eek:

Look at the subject. :confused: If you were not a luthier would you have known this was not about food? :biglaugh:
 
Well I'm not posting the wedding photo but here is my first guitar build - a perspex body electric. Whatever was I thinking?

Hippy.jpg


Talk about embarassing luthier moments. Oh and the reason you don't get much of the guitar (this was my 3rd year college exhibition) is my wife is taking the photo - you can see where her interests lay can't you?
 
Pete Howlett said:
Well I'm not posting the wedding photo but here is my first guitar build - a perspex body electric. Whatever was I thinking?

Hippy.jpg


Talk about embarassing luthier moments. Oh and the reason you don't get much of the guitar (this was my 3rd year college exhibition) is my wife is taking the photo - you can see where her interests lay can't you?
Click to expand...

Dang, Pete! You were a stud back in the day, eh? What happened?
 
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