Modifying a Fox side bender for ukulele sides
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 12:20 am
With help (as usual) from smart people here, I have built a modification to the Fox guitar side bender I just finished, with the hope/intention of using it to bend ukulele sides as well (which I don't expect to do very often). I built a riser or plinth to lift the ukulele form high enough so the cauls would be able to grab the form. I can use the same end cauls, and made a new waist caul to fit the ukulele waist. I'm hoping to use the 6x34 inch heating blanket and slats bought from John Hall (still unwrapped as you might notice). The riser is designed so I can keep the uke sides short at the lower bout end, and let the excess hang over at the upper bout end. The vertical members of the riser extend down so as to prevent the riser from shifting - the lower bout end has a horizontal extension. I considered fastening the form to the riser but realized I will want to be able to remove the form easily when the sides are bent, so I cut a slot in the form for the 1/2 inch aluminum bar I'm using. I had to fit additional springs and anchors to suit the smaller form. In the photo with the bending package in place, I am using a piece of scrap side-thickness material to fill the void at the end of the blanket, to avoid overheating the blanket there. (The clamps are temporary - I may use clothes pins to hold the dummy side piece in position). My first experience with a bender like this was using a friend's to bend some walnut bindings, and they shattered, so my confidence still needs a boost. So I am going to try bending two sets of cherry uke sides before I do a nice set of figured walnut guitar sides. I'll report back when I've given it a try. Thanks again for advice along the way - Bruce W.