Spring Steel Slats for Fox style Bender?

Matt Clara

Matt Clara

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I'm on the hunt for some spring steel slats for a side bender. The problem is, there appears to be lots of kinds of spring steel out there. I'm seeing high carbon 1095 hardened, 50 Carbon Spring Steel, annealed 410 stainless strip, and more. Does it matter? I see LMII has blue tempered, so I've been looking towards that, but I'd rather not order the wrong thing and end up having to try again. I have my eye on this one, in particular: http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/7041554
 
Look at McMaster-Carr. They have lots of choices and they're online too
 
Cut the steel with tin snips. No big deal as long as its thin enough, say .010" or thereabouts.
 
I picked up a 6" wide roll of aluminum flashing and use that as both the top strap and form cover in my light bulb heated bender made in the fashion of Timbuck's bender. I didn't really think the flashing would work all that great, but I'm 15 for 15 so far bending sides...cherry, mahogany, walnut, maple, and oak...without a single break. I guess I should pick up some spring steel, but what I have is working fine for now.
 
I had previously used some flashing to make my side bending forms. I didn't have enough support and they ended up with dips and such that don't pop back out. I recently refurbished all my forms with a couple rolls of the 1095 Blue Tempered shim stock from McMaster Carr. I bent some sides over the weekend and it worked great. The spring steel stays nice and stiff plus I supported the perimeter with more dowels than before.

I used small brads to nail the steel to the perimeter of the form and this was not an issue with the flashing. However this Blue Tempered stuff was almost impossible to drill with my standard drill bits.

As hard as it was to drill the tin snips cut it like buttah.
 
You want the blued spring steel. The stainless will turn into bent up pieces of carp for the tight bends us ukulele makers need.
 
Michael Smith said:
You want the blued spring steel. The stainless will turn into bent up pieces of carp for the tight bends us ukulele makers need.
Click to expand...

YMMV. Mine are fine after a few dozen ukes. Slightly curved at the waist but they look as they have lots and lots of service left in them. And they don't rust.
 
This is what I use:

http://www.lyonindustries.com/index...&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=3

Blue tempered shim stock. .010" x 6" x 50". It's available from many online dealers. I bought two boxes a few years ago thinking it would eventually wear out. I am still on my first pieces.
Be very careful when removing the band around the roll. It's called spring steel for a reason. I cut mine too quickly and it sounded like a bomb went off before it danced around my shop destroying everything in it's path!
 
Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
This is what I use:

http://www.lyonindustries.com/index...&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=3

Be very careful when removing the band around the roll. It's called spring steel for a reason. I cut mine too quickly and it sounded like a bomb went off before it danced around my shop destroying everything in it's path!
Click to expand...
Though I purchased through MC it is the exact same stuff form Lyon Industries. Thanks for pointing out the issue of removing the band. It scared the crap out of me as it flew across the work bench clearing everything in its path. For the second roll I used some clamps on each end and then removed the band and then carefully removed the clamps and stood clear.
 
Dominator said:
Though I purchased through MC it is the exact same stuff form Lyon Industries. Thanks for pointing out the issue of removing the band. It scared the crap out of me as it flew across the work bench clearing everything in its path. For the second roll I used some clamps on each end and then removed the band and then carefully removed the clamps and stood clear.
Click to expand...

I opened mine up in the kitchen in the middle of the night. Just about gave me a heart attack! Next time I'm going to set it in the yard and throw gasoline on it and light it on fire. When the cardboard band burns through I'll be at a safe distance. Haha.
You mentioned you bought yours at "MC". I bought mine at MCI but I can't remember what that stands for. Same place?
 
You are probably thinking of MSC Industrial Supply, Chuck. They have the blue tempered shim stock as well, and it is where I get mine from. They have a website.
 
So, Chuck says he went with 0.010" thickness. Anyone using the blue tempered spring steel using any other thicknesses, perchance?
 
Michael Smith said:
You want the blued spring steel. The stainless will turn into bent up pieces of carp for the tight bends us ukulele makers need.
Click to expand...
This is true! ...After a lot of bending (250 ukes worth)"Two sides at a time" my stainless steel slats are showing signs of wear and causing cracks and ripples and creasing in the waist area.... when before "all was well":( I have trouble finding blue spring steel slats at 7" wide to fit my bender..but I can easily replace the stainless with new material (maybe a few thou thicker next time) :)
 
Last edited:
Google "Shim in a can"
 
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