Binding top and back, how do you all do it?

[ChuckBarnett]

Thank you for the information! Happy to be making a little progress here! :-)

Now to bend the bindings. I had practiced earlier and and thinking that I could bend all four at the same time on my element. Has anybody else tried this? Any thoughts?

[ChuckBarnett]

Impatience... Had to give it a try. I have more wood and this project is taking me a hundred years anyhow so what the hey.

What I'm not sure of is how critical the top and bottom bout curvature is. I know that the waist needs to be tight but everything else?

[Danl8]

Looks good! The waist bend should be accurate. The upper & lower can should be close, but as you probably know some springback or mismatch is not as critical. Nice job doing all four on the pipe, efficient and a good match piece-to-piece. I do my binding with my sides on the Blues Creek machine. Gonna be a pretty guitar.

[ChuckBarnett]

Looks good! The waist bend should be accurate. The upper & lower can should be close, but as you probably know some springback or mismatch is not as critical. Nice job doing all four on the pipe, efficient and a good match piece-to-piece. I do my binding with my sides on the Blues Creek machine. Gonna be a pretty guitar.

I think there's a little beginner's luck to this. I was essentially throwing woods at this that I happen to come across one way or another. And it may turn out to be half decent looking. Of course there's a whole lot more to this then looks. That is a big challenge for me. But playability is huge as well.

Dan it may be that you missed where I posted earlier that this is a tenor ukulele, not a guitar. Figured if I ruined a ukulele for my first attempt I wouldn't feel as bad because it's smaller than a guitar. ;-)

[Danl8]

Dan it may be that you missed where I posted earlier that this is a tenor ukulele, not a guitar. Figured if I ruined a ukulele for my first attempt I wouldn't feel as bad because it's smaller than a guitar. ;-)

Oops, I do remember it is a uke. Nothing wrong there -- great fun to make and play!

[ruby@magpage.com]

That is an interesting rig for your bending iron - could you post a picture(s) of the back of it and maybe discuss how you did it? Where did you get the thermometer that is at the tip? Do you feel it is accurate, or just relative?

Thanks

Ed

[ChuckBarnett]

That is an interesting rig for your bending iron - could you post a picture(s) of the back of it and maybe discuss how you did it? Where did you get the thermometer that is at the tip? Do you feel it is accurate, or just relative?

Thanks

Ed

Like most of us as we build jigs, I created this to cover for what I lack in experience or skill. I wanted to make sure that the sides of my instrument would be bent perpendicular to the edge. So I came up with this box into which I built my bending element. Moisture from the bending process swelled the melamine, but I simply sanded that flat. I should probably seal that with something as well. It certainly is overbuilt but I used what I had on hand to slap it together. I put a couple ports in the sides for clamping to a work surface.

I picked up the temp gauge at the same time I got the bending element used. Don't know about its accuracy beyond what you can find out on the internet, so I've included a link.

When I first bent the sides (quilted maple) I was shooting for about 350 degrees. My first attempt on the koa binding seemed to darken the koa significantly so I dropped down to about 320 degrees.

PTC also makes this in Centigrade or Celsius or whenever that is called. :-)

http://ptc1-com.3dcartstores.com/572F

[Diane Kauffmds]

You did a good job. I did something similar when I got my bending iron. I also drew the outline of 1/2 of the guitar on the box, so I could quickly compare my bend's accuracy.. I'm fortunate. My iron has a built-in thermostat that's very accurate.

[ChuckBarnett]

This is my practice tape-up. If I do the CA glue method, I can tighten that spot at the waist. I wonder about a couple other spots and welcome criticisms st this point. It may be I'll have to do a little file work or glue and sawdust fill?

[ruby@magpage.com]

You can always try this- use a piece of plastic wrap or part of a plastic bag between the caul and the guitar adn work everything until you are happy with it