Light bulb bender

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anonrights

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Has anyone tried making one? I've heard 300 watt bulbs are best any tips? More importantly has anyone had success using it, and also how does it do with koa?
 
this topic has been touched on a few times on the luthier's lounge. ive built one ( fox-style bender) with two 150 W bulbs on a ceramic base. it worked out fine but i found it nerve wracking at first so i added a dimmer switch and a cheapo meat thermometer. if i could do it all over again, i will opt for a silicone blanket. it will bend pretty much any wood with the right thickness. you just got to watch out for grain runout and dont soak figure woods. use a wet rag or towel.

anonrights said:
Has anyone tried making one? I've heard 300 watt bulbs are best any tips? More importantly has anyone had success using it, and also how does it do with koa?
Click to expand...
 
I built one as my first bender but it wasn't by any means as good as using a silicon heat blanket. and by the time you get it all set up it's going to cost every bit as much as a silicon blanket.

If you are just starting out, I'd be going with a hot pipe, as they are just so useful for so many things in lutherie that you can't do with anything else quite so easily.
 
I built and still use a light bulb type...the forming/mold is made from aluminium plate with M/S steel heat storage rods covered by a thin sheet of stainless steel..The light/heat sourse is a 500W halogen..I also use a meat thermometer..The wetted sides are sandwiched two at a time between the stainless sheets..It's a great system for me and i don't see any need to change it...Here's a link to a thread that I started a while back when I modify'd it...And then built another for tenor ukes.
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...nder-Getting-worn-out&highlight=bender+refurb
 
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a local luthier in my area pounded a 2" diameter steel pipe to an oval and fitted a grill heating element in it. make sure to properly ground it. he learned the hard way
gyosh said:
In the past I've looked for plans to build an electric hot pipe bender but the only one I could find involved smashing a charcoal lighter into a pipe. Are there any plans for something a little more polished anywhere out there?
Click to expand...
 
weerpool said:
a local luthier in my area pounded a 2" diameter steel pipe to an oval and fitted a grill heating element in it. make sure to properly ground it. he learned the hard way
Click to expand...

Sorry OP, didn't mean to hijack the thread. I deleted my original question and I'll repost as a new thread in the future. Weerpool, thank you for the response.
 
I read Timbuck's post noted above, studied the pictures that he posted and built a bender very similar to his. I heat mine with two 100 watt bulbs and have bent everything from buttery mahogany to tricky spalted maple without incident. Well, I take that back. I did have one set of mahogany sides act up on me, but the grain was kind of crazy and the problem seemed to be more due to run out than the bender. I respect Allen's expertise, but the total cost of mine was well under the cost of a heating blanket.
 
I found a 250 watt heat lamp for $10. You think that would work?
 
My 1st bender used a halogen floor light bulb on a dimmer.

The 1st problem I had was that the waist would be unheated about 3/4" above the form when I would start to bend it. I tried flipping the wood and hand bending the waist over the upper bout to get it started. That helped a lot but I still had to throw out a bunch of sides.

The 2nd problem was the heat inside the form. I lined the insides with aluminum sheet but the wood still got charred and smoked. It made me uncomfortable.

I got a heating blanket about 3 weeks ago and have had great success.
 
I made a light bulb bender. Did one for soprano and concert. They work for me. I have made about seven with them. Two 100w bulbs. Not great but good enough till I go to the next step in building. Made two out of koa.

Dano
 
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