Any way around the heating banket?

Chris Mudd

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Hello all!!
I have really enjoyed this forum!!!

I am gearing up to build a tenor Uke and am planning on building more than one.

I have found the most expensive new part I have to acquire is the heating blanket for the bender I am going to build.

EXCEPT for the hot pipe, is there an economical way around having to purchase a Watlow or other heat blanket?

Ideas anyone??????

chris
 
It is possible to build a Fox like side bender that uses light bulbs as the heat source, they are not as efficient or as easy to use as a heat blanket, but it is doable. BUT, why not a hot pipe?

Brad
 
I have built a Fox style bender which uses light bulbs as a source of heat and it works well. I use a 200 watt bulb under the larger end and a 100 watt under the smaller end. I have aso built using a hot pipe and that works very well also. The real reason I built the bender is that I was helping the son of a friend to build a tenor and it seemed like it would be an easier method for huim doing just one uke. Either method is fine, both have their own unique problems, I don't know that I would say one is easier than the other. If you are looking to make an occasional uke I would just go with the hot pipe - it is a lot more work to build a Fox bender, especially if you don't plan to buy a heat blanket.
 
January 09 086.jpgDSC03092.jpg

I sometimes bend on a hot pipe because I like the feel and smell and connection with the wood as it bends. I built a bender because....well....I just wanted to see if I could build a bender. Both work fine and I'll continue using both. The pipe bender shown is this picture is heated with a paint stripping gun. I also use a small plumber's propane torch and actually prefer it to the gun...the torch is much more quiet. The bender is heated with light bulbs as described above, but I have found that two 100 watt bulbs provide plenty of heat. I've been tempted to buy a heat blanket, but I'm trying to do this on the cheap. The bulbs work fine.
 
do luthiers actually make the mould for the sides or can you buy them ready made?
 
Remember, lights bulbs heat the mold, a blanket heats the wood. You'll have much better and consistent results with a heat blanket. That said, everyone should begin with a hot pipe in order to have a better understanding with what's going on when bending wood. The bending jig removes the craftsman from the material.
 
Hi All,

It's my first time posting here and I am new to the forum.

In response to the question about the mold, you can buy them from blues creek guitars. Check out the link (http://www.bluescreekguitars.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=51)

I did make my own forms for the side molds and also made my own version of a bending machine that uses a heat blanket. While a heat blanket is a big initial investment, i think it would be a good one if you plan on producing them in quantity. Though Bo Walkers lightbulb machine is really interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Lauri
 
do luthiers actually make the mould for the sides or can you buy them ready made?

Yes, we actually make all the molds we use. You can buy molds but I don't see why you would want to use the same shape of mold that someone else is using.
 
Why would you take the two best options, cross them out, then go looking for the distant third? Breaking a couple of sides by using sub-standard methods will soon negate the cost of a heat blanket.

As for the light bulbs, by all accounts of those who have moved from light bulbs to blankets, the blankets are light years ahead.
Cost wise, the parts and time required to assemble a light bulb bender is more than a solid form and a blanket.
 
If you think the most expensive part of building a uke is the blanket, then you haven't been doing your research. There are just countless things that I'm sure you haven't thought of that will suck the $$$ from the wallet.

Now, back to topic....I've built the light bulb bender. Used it a few times and knew there had to be a better way. I've got the hot pipe and it really is indispensable for lots of tasks. BUT there's not a snowballs chance in hell that you would ever get me to give away my heat blanket. It's bent hundreds of sides without a single one breaking.

As for molds, I make all my own, as I'm certain every single luthier here does as well....at least the ones that use a blanket.
 
Remember, lights bulbs heat the mold, a blanket heats the wood. You'll have much better and consistent results with a heat blanket. That said, everyone should begin with a hot pipe in order to have a better understanding with what's going on when bending wood. The bending jig removes the craftsman from the material.

And an other thing, - how does a bender with two light bulbs only, one under each bout, transfer heat to the material for the first initial bending of the waist? I've been wondering on that.
 
Home brew outlets sell heating cords , pads and blankets that might be worth a try... Or find a friend that brews and try it before you buy?
 
The trick with the light bulb method is to get the heat into the "heat retaining bars", mine are 10 mm steel but copper would be better..the more bars you have the more even'ly the heat is spread..Too few bars and you just get "Hot spots"...I also made the former sides from aluminium plate 5mm thick to hold even more heat..once the assembly is up to temp, bending is no problem...for the heat source I use a 500watt halogen bulb...I also recon a fan added to make it work like fan oven could work as well..But I havn't try'd that yet ;)
PICT7220.jpg
 
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And an other thing, - how does a bender with two light bulbs only, one under each bout, transfer heat to the material for the first initial bending of the waist? I've been wondering on that.

I would wonder that too if I started at the waist, sort of. In any case, you gotta try it to see what's going on w/ the heat.

Check out our Luthiers Interactive of North Texas page. Bo Walker's work up of the lightbulb machine is awesome. I use a Uke version of his design. http://www.lint.org/TechNotes/lowcostbender.html

Wow, 20 minutes to heat up then another 20 to bend? I vaguely remember using a light bulb one (or was it a video?). . . either way, that image is deeply suppressed. I once said that once I learned how to use a blanket, bending sides was the fastest 5 minute process of the build. Until I started bending Milo. . .

Hello all!!
I have really enjoyed this forum!!!

I am gearing up to build a tenor Uke and am planning on building more than one.

I have found the most expensive new part I have to acquire is the heating blanket for the bender I am going to build.

EXCEPT for the hot pipe, is there an economical way around having to purchase a Watlow or other heat blanket?

Ideas anyone??????

chris

First off, welcome to the forum. 2nd, welcome to the lounge. While you may find economical answers to your question, you'll be hard pressed to find cheap here. As evidenced by the responses so far (mine included), it'll cost more in the long run avoiding the blanket. Now, if we all had the time and skill of Ken, we would have nice aluminum forms like him(good stuff) that could effectively use the halogen bulb.


Don't get me wrong, cheap is okay (I build my own cam clamps) - I also use a pipe at times ( for cutaways), however, since I'm too cheap to buy the pipe or make a torch setup, I drape my blanket over a pipe the I screw into the side of my bench.

Pipe and torch may be your cheapest route. FYI, there's a factory here that still uses a torch and pipe for their production instruments.

-Aaron
 
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The trick with the light bulb method is to get the heat into the "heat retaining bars", mine are 10 mm steel but copper would be better..the more bars you have the more even'ly the heat is spread..Too few bars and you just get "Hot spots"...I also made the former sides from aluminium plate 5mm thick to hold even more heat..once the assembly is up to temp, bending is no problem...for the heat source I use a 500watt halogen bulb...I also recon a fan added to make it work like fan oven could work as well..But I havn't try'd that yet ;)

I've always been suspicious of the claim that the bars transfer much heat. Heat transfer is all about surface area. Round bars have the least surface area contact with the mold surface (basically just a line) and the least surface area to absorb heat. Sure, they must transfer some heat to the surface but it would be the least amount possible. Why not use flat stock to get more surface area for heat transfer? The whole point is to get the heat into the wood, not the mold.

Of course....I use a round pipe to bend for bending so I'm no really better off :biglaugh:
 
I like hand bending. There is something prosaic and calming about it. I use a blanket to bend soprano sides and set tenor sides that aren't hand bending well. A heat blanket is a good investment but it teaches you next to nothing about the craft...
 
I have only used a pipe to bend so far, I have made a couple ukes now with one piece sides. I really like them, and I have not figured out how you would make a machine that will easily bend a one piece side, I guess you would need a long blanket and start from the heal and work up in both directions... I figure I will stick to the hot pipe for now.
 
@mrhandy - here's some posts with my bending thing for making one piece tenor sides. I was never really happy with it, using regular threaded rods meant screwing on those nuts forever. And since the side piece and the blanket were vertical I used a lot of clothes pins to keep them together. I tossed it recently and now I do all sides on the iron.

http://www.argapa.blogspot.com/2008/01/bending-form-continued.html
http://www.argapa.blogspot.com/2009/04/bending-sides.html
http://www.argapa.blogspot.com/2009/04/sides-destroyed.html
 
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