Production Bending

Pete Howlett>lol! Not sure what I said to set you off so, but... harsh! I don't believe I ever claimed to be more experienced or knowledgeable than I am. I do have some history in wood working, and have lately been successful in making a few well-sounding ukes that I am proud of, both physically and musically. This has encouraged me to keep going and to learn to make them better.

I am grateful when somebody takes the time to share what they know, and have no doubt you could teach me a great deal, if you chose to do so, but am not hopeful as so far I find your style of criticism not to be conducive.
 
Wow, thanks for the video! So you bend the waist first and then go to the side bender. I had not seen that before. Clever way to backup the wood with a metal strap.

BTW - Do you find that a tight waist bend improves the sonic qualities of the instrument?
I try and build to the specifications on the drawing..like all engineers should.
IMG_4384 by Ken Timms, on Flickr
 
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It's your laziness and expectation that I find partivularly irksome. This forum has answered your current question many times over offering many angles. I suspect your next question will be ewually supported by cummulative posts. As you are new here you may be unaware that apart from Robbie O'Brian I am the other maker of repute who has shared and continues to shsre through daily live streàming the secrets of his craft. I have given free and paid for workshop days and when I had 134 Youtube videos uplooded, the knowledge that inspired many who contribute here. People get my respect when they, as students behave like learners and do their homework.
 
Could we please desist from personalising our comments. I vaguely remember a quote from a well-known luthier who said something like, "To make better guitars, you need to become a better person".
I'm not sure all our posts would align with this worthy goal.

Miguel
 
You know, I'm glad this came up. It's been bugging me for a while.
if this forum were restricted to only questions that were never asked before and there is nothing new to share, then shut it down. Sure, every question can be answered somewhere on the Internet. So why do we need the Luthier's Lounge? I just don't understand the impatience that comes from entertaining newbies questions, no matter how many times you've heard them. I've been on this forum since the beginning and I used to participate a lot. I only participate now when I feel my input is vital to the discussion. I, too, have heard all the questions before but I don't take it as my responsibility to address every one of them. I just ignore them, figuring the more seasoned newcomers will add something helpful. I know I don't have to answer every question I see! We aren't building space shuttles here or curing cancer for God's sake. We are making objects of entertainment and merriment. So above anything else let's be kind to one another. We were all starting out some point. I see this forum as a means to get to know one another, talk story and share information. This is a family, and as with all families we may not always agree with one another but let's at least be respectful toward one another if not patient and helpful. Thank you. (This is the longest post I've made in years.) ;)
 
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You know, I'm glad this came up. It's been bugging me for a while.
if this forum were restricted to only questions that were never asked before and there is nothing new to share, then shut it down. Sure, every question can be answered somewhere on the Internet. So why do we need the Luthier's Lounge? I just don't understand the impatience that comes from entering newbies questions, no matter how many times you've heard them. I've been on this forum since the beginning and I used to participate a lot. I only participate now when I feel my input is vital to the discussion. I, too, have heard all the questions before but I don't take it as my responsibility to address every one of them. I just ignore them, figuring the more seasoned newcomers will add something helpful. I know I don't have to answer every question I see! We aren't building space shuttles here or curing cancer for God's sake. We are objects of entertainment and merriment. Above anything else let's be kind to one another. We were all staring out some point. I see this forum as a means to get to know one another, stalk story and share information. This is a family, and as with all families we may not always agree with one another but let's at least be respectful toward one another if not patient and helpful. Thank you. (This is the longest post I've made in years.) ;)

Amen Chuck....well said.
 
For what it's worth, I've gained so much knowledge from threads like these. Often times top makers like Allen, Pete, or Chuck will address the same issue multiple times over the years, but as a total beginner, I try to carefully read each post. A detail of the process mentioned offhand here or there by someone who really knows the work can really be helpful.

As to bending, I don't have a heat blanket, but I do have a hot iorn. I have been building with really curly koa, and found that hand bending full thickness sides was too unpredictable. I now sand my sides to 1mm and hand bend roughly to shape. I also bend a 1mm inside face, and laminate these two in a vacuum press. I just use regular titebond red cap, and have almost no springback. I'm sure it's not as fast as a bending machine, but I've yet to break a side. I can get about six ukulele worth bent and laminated in a day.
 
Chuck said it better than I would have. It's also worth remembering that somewhere north of 90% of people on this subforum are here to make a ukulele or two for fun and to challenge themselves rather than looking to start a career as a luthier, and it's pretty closed-minded to try to scare each of them away with the attitude that they're not worthy of anything other than being grouched at.

John
 
Chuck said it better than I would have. It's also worth remembering that somewhere north of 90% of people on this subforum are here to make a ukulele or two for fun and to challenge themselves rather than looking to start a career as a luthier, and it's pretty closed-minded to try to scare each of them away with the attitude that they're not worthy of anything other than being grouched at.

John
Ok! I admit it..I'm a grouch..it comes with the 80th Birthday..Arthritis, Poor eyesight,Deafness, Lack of a sexlife ,
Dodgy bowel control,High blood pressure, Short term memory, and total jealousy of the younger generation...But! somehow I still manage to go in the workshop and make these Soprano babies.:)
 
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Ok! I admit it..I'm a grouch..it comes with the 80th Birthday..Arthritis, Poor eyesight,Deafness, Lack of a sexlife ,
Dodgy bowel control,High blood pressure, Short term memory, and total jealousy of the younger generation...But! somehow I still manage to go in the workshop and make these Soprano babies.:)

Made it to eighty, well that’s something to be very pleased about. As for those other issues, well life could be much much worse. There is no value in being jealous of the younger generation, they have their life ahead of them but unlike your generation they will not see major improvements in living standards and might well see the reverse. The retirement age is rising and the young are increasingly unable to move out of rented accommodation and into a home that they will one day (via a mortgage) own. Child care costs are crippling and on top of that they have University debts to service, the income from two working parents is almost universally needed to keep a home going and don’t even start to think of having kids until you’re in your thirties ‘cause you’ll never manage the costs earlier in your career. Expect to travel many miles to work and work longer hours than earlier generations ‘cause we don’t clock on and off any more and are all ‘professionals here’.

Grumpy, you, I think that that’s not at all typical of you and I’ve always thought your posting style and content to be good, humorous most of the time and well considered. I also think that it’s great that you’re still active and doing good stuff both in your workshop and on-line, quite a positive role model.

I thought Chuck’s comment above was spot on and was kind of shocked to read some other posts in this thread. Things annoy us all from time to time but how we react to them is almost always our choice ........
 
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..Arthritis, Poor eyesight,Deafness, Lack of a sexlife ,
Dodgy bowel control,High blood pressure, Short term memory, and total jealousy of the younger generation.../QUOTE]

Ken,

That is truly hilarious … hey, hang on a minute … I’m 73 already … why am I laughing?
 
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