weerpool
Well-known member
i just broke my first ever curly Koa side. i handbend all of my uke/guitar sides. i got it to just about 1/16" thick must have oversoaked it for 15 + min. bummed as hell. that was the most expensive mistake to date. 
feeling quite sad and defeated...
- Thread starter weerpool
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Teek
Well-known member
Bummer! I'm empathize with your sadness, I know how it feels to break something that is supposed to be a work of art. If you learn the lesson it's not a loss though. My dad used to say that "There is no failure, only feedback".
Save the pieces and make a mini pineapple with it...?
Save the pieces and make a mini pineapple with it...?
Steve vanPelt
Well-known member
Curly koa bends really easy, right up until it snaps. I'm sure most of us have done it. I usually just barely spritz the sides with distilled water. Seems to hold together better. Oh, and I back up the bends with a stainless steel slat. Don't feel too bad, it's all part of the growing pains.
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Rick Turner
Well-known member
Are you using a backing bending strap? If not, you should. Also check out "SuperSoft II" from Joe Woodworker.
maclay
Well-known member
Over soaking the wood is a common mistake, especially with highly figured woods. You want the wood to be wet, but not dripping. Like two dogs said "don't feel too bad" it happens to the best of us.
As for SuperSoft II, I'm still not convinced that it works that well.....maybe I'm still using it wrong.
As for SuperSoft II, I'm still not convinced that it works that well.....maybe I'm still using it wrong.
Timbuck
Well-known member
My record is 6 sets of mahogany..12 sides snapped two at a time in the Fox bender..that's when I learned about grain runout
Liam Ryan
Well-known member
Curly wood is all about runout. Grab some aluminium flashing and wrap that around the back. It makes the curls much less likely to break apart
Gwynedd
Well-known member
I'll bet you aren't the only one, either. As I tell my clients "Experience is a good teacher, but she's damned expensive."
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
I must do this about twice a year and it is usually the upper bout when I forget to usde my stainless .5mm shim backer. Never bend koa wet, ever!" it doesn't do any good. use water on mahogany which nearly always refuses to go where you want it to...
jcalkin
Well-known member
Super Soft 2 is good stuff. I use it on everything but EIR. I'm not sure it would help much with hand bending as the wood tends to dry before the water or SS2 can cook in. When using a Fox bender, keep the ends of the bending sandwich closed with spring clamps. Right around 250 degrees, grab the clamps and try bending without the spring cauls. You can get a feel for the wood. When it wants to go, pull down on the cauls. Too much heat is usually the culprit that causes breakage. The wood dries out before you try to bend it. Mahogany and koa should be bent around 265+/_. Rosewoods are better hotter, but not a lot hotter. Maybe 285 degrees. With this scheme I can usually tell which set has SS2 and which water (running two benders at once) just by feel. The set with SS2 also heats faster and gives off a lot more steam. Always use a contact thermometer.
Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
Spring steel slats will eliminate a lot of cracking problems. I rely on very firm pressure when bending rather than a lot of water. Admittedly, my set up is a little unusual. My "sandwich" is comprise of three metal slats (one aluminum, two SS), two heat blankets and a canvas envelope and is about 1/4" thick. The wood doesn't stand a chance! General rule for me is, the more curl, the less water. The canvas envelope is wetted then wrung dry, providing just the amount of moisture I want.
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
I've tried a simplified version of Chuck's method and it really works... I just don't do much machine bending and tend to use my machines for 'setting' hand bent sides which I suspect is intuitively wrong but works for me since I always expereince unwnated springback if the bend is done by machine first - stress bracing into the form isn't an option for me either. I've found a way that works for me and I only use water in hand bending if I am meeting resistance and where use of the support strap becomes critical.
ksquine
Well-known member
Yep, we all break a side once in a while. Some wood just won't bend. I haven't had any problems with koa but I once had a curly mahogany set that would break as soon as it touched the hot pipe. I tried practicing bends with the broken parts but it would always snap after a slight bend.
Its hard to say what the cause is...not like you can go back and do it differently with the same piece of wood.
Save the scrap though. It can be used for inlays or headplates
Its hard to say what the cause is...not like you can go back and do it differently with the same piece of wood.
Save the scrap though. It can be used for inlays or headplates
Gary Gill
Well-known member
Don't let it get you down. Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. - John Quincy Adams 6th US President
