Hello!
So I've dug quite a bit through this forum looking for info on bending sides, and I've done quite a bit of research on it (I've also had my own bending disasters that mirror a few that I've read about today on old posts!)
I'm looking to purchase a heat blanket to bend sides, and I'm curious what experience people have had with the Chinese ones sold on Amazon. They seem to be cheaper, though they also appear to not come with plugs. I'm assuming that's so they can be sold in various countries and you can install your correct plug depending on where you live.
I've also found some on actual American luthier websites that are quite a bit more expensive but look to be better quality. I'm not looking to turn this into a full time job here, I'm building Ukuleles as a side hobby in my shop so I really don't want to break the bank here. I know many people on this forum go for the bending iron, but again, really don't want to drop $200+ here.
Any opinions are appreciated! I've still got a lot to learn and this forum is a gold mine. I've been repairing string instruments for years, but I'm new to building instruments!
So I've dug quite a bit through this forum looking for info on bending sides, and I've done quite a bit of research on it (I've also had my own bending disasters that mirror a few that I've read about today on old posts!)
I'm looking to purchase a heat blanket to bend sides, and I'm curious what experience people have had with the Chinese ones sold on Amazon. They seem to be cheaper, though they also appear to not come with plugs. I'm assuming that's so they can be sold in various countries and you can install your correct plug depending on where you live.
I've also found some on actual American luthier websites that are quite a bit more expensive but look to be better quality. I'm not looking to turn this into a full time job here, I'm building Ukuleles as a side hobby in my shop so I really don't want to break the bank here. I know many people on this forum go for the bending iron, but again, really don't want to drop $200+ here.
Any opinions are appreciated! I've still got a lot to learn and this forum is a gold mine. I've been repairing string instruments for years, but I'm new to building instruments!