Side bending help!!!!

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kingJurzy

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What is the best method for bending sides for a uke and hoe thick or thin can the sides be?
 
i wonder... i think you meant HOW, not hoe
 
Sorry it was How.Sven, I have googled it and checked youtube for ideas but there no good answers i can find. Also pete i might give that a try.


Thank you all
 
Sorry, didn't mean to be too harsh. It's just that when I started out a couple of years back I found almost everything I needed on the web; youtube, forums, articles etc. Maybe the web has changed and it isn't as readily available now, what do I know. The answers also depends on what wood you use and how you bend it.

My over-reaction was triggered by your manner of posing the question, personally I cringe at multiple exclamation marks and several questions crammed into one sentence.

But I'm such a sourpuss. Again; sorry.

Sven
 
There are really only two ways to do it, one with a bending pipe/iron, and one with a Fox style bender. If you are already versed in the wood working shop, you might want to try building your own Fox bender. If you have money to spare, you might want to just buy a Fox bender. If you're like me, you'll put together an inexpensive hot pipe and try your hand at it the old fashioned way. The pros of bending on a pipe include really learning what it takes to bend wood successfully, because you can see/feel/hear exactly what's going on. The Fox bender has ease and repeatability on its side--once you get it down, anyway, and it'll be different for different types of wood, but that's true for any type of bending.


 
I'll add my $.02.
Practice on some cheap or free wood. Try bending some thin (1.5 - 2mm) pieces of wood.
 
Matt Clara said:
There are really only two ways to do it, one with a bending pipe/iron, and one with a Fox style bender. If you are already versed in the wood working shop, you might want to try building your own Fox bender. If you have money to spare, you might want to just buy a Fox bender. If you're like me, you'll put together an inexpensive hot pipe and try your hand at it the old fashioned way. The pros of bending on a pipe include really learning what it takes to bend wood successfully, because you can see/feel/hear exactly what's going on. The Fox bender has ease and repeatability on its side--once you get it down, anyway, and it'll be different for different types of wood, but that's true for any type of bending.


Click to expand...

A friend of mine bends with a Fox style bender with no heat. There are a number of people that "cold bend" violin sides.
 
It's ok sven . Two more questions before i build my first uke How thin do the sides have to be and can you use ash?
 
kingJurzy said:
It's ok sven . Two more questions before i build my first uke How thin do the sides have to be and can you use ash?
Click to expand...

Ash isn't typically used for stringed instruments, with the exception of solid bodied electric guitars. However, it is favored by some industries where bending is required, so we know it bends well enough. Some experimentation is likely required, so it's probably not the best wood to start with. Here's a brief passage on ash from The Heretic's Guide to Alternative Lutherie Woods, by John Calkin.:

Ash is considered by many to be the premier firewood, and not of much further use. Steambenders who make snowshoes or lacrosse sticks know better. Luthiers primarily use ash for electric guitar bodies, but the same bending qualities that the other trades admire make this wood wonderful for instrument sets. Ash is harder and stiffer than mahogany, sort of an open-grain maple. The pore structure is similar to oak; the pores are numerous and deep. It's about the color of cream when freshly cut, aging rapidly to light tan. Ash stains well and a contrasting pore filler added interest. Ash is pretty boring unless you are fond of Fender electrics, which mostly exhibit a sunburst or pickled finish when used with this wood. A rare sample of ash might have the most astonishing combination of swirls, curls, and flame. Finding quartered ash is just a matter of luck. More on unquartered wood later. The illustration shows unfinished ash used as a top wood. It's been my experience that hardwoods thinned to the same flexibility as a plate of softwood produce similar tone qualities, though very hard species will be dangerously thin by the time this point is reached.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you Matt that helped a lot. But if I can't use ash then whats another type of wood that is easy on the wallet and can make a good uke?
 
Free or cheap is good to start with.

Ash should work fine for the back and sides.
Try to get pieces that don't have any "runout" of the grain.

Thickness the back & sides to somewhere between 1.5 - 2.0 mm.

In the past (before laminates) , ash had been used for the back and sides of many cheaper acoustic guitars. There are some luthiers using "quilted ash" for back and sides.
 
Since I'm a new luthier, I use inexpensive poplar for the sides and backs of my ukes and spruce or redwood for the soundboards. I cold bend the sides using a method very similar to the one at this link. My most recent build is a concert-size "keystone" with an extended 16.1 inch scale. It's tuned low-g and the finish is completely environmentally friendly.
 
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