www.KitGuitarsForum.com

I understand that different woods can require different techniques, but what are some good woods for a beginner to learn on? And what are really tough ones I should avoid until I have more experience?

I'm expecting to first try semi-manually - using a mold (not freehand around a hot pipe like in Cumpiano & Natelson) but not an expensive full-blown bending machine either. Maybe someday.

Also if there are cheap non-tonewoods that make good practice blanks before risking cracking the good stuff, that would be good information as well.

Cheers,
Tomcat

How about these, https://exoticwoodzone.com/products/gen ... b564&_ss=r. They would need to be sanded down to .08 -.09" thick to bend.
I'm not sure how you would just use a mold to bend without adding heat and steam. I use a homemade Fox type bender and a blanket. Others use a hot pipe that can be made with some metal tubing and a propane torch or a charcoal lighter (I use one of them for touch up too).

Sorry I didn't give a real description of the general idea - I still have research to do - but yes I mean heat and moisture, and some method of pressing the side into the curves of the mold. There seem to be a lot of variations on how much machinery is used to do the fitting, and therefore the cost, and I don't expect to start out at the high end of that range.

carld05 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 01, 2025 2:06 pm How about these, https://exoticwoodzone.com/products/gen ... b564&_ss=r. They would need to be sanded down to .08 -.09" thick to bend.

Those look like a great deal! Thanks for the pointer!

+1 for exoticwoodzone. I source my wood from a few different places but that's one of them and have always been happy with their quality, price, and service. The hard part when getting started is getting the sides sanded to bending thickness. You can outsource that at many suppliers too, but it'll add labor charges.

I thicknessed my 1st few guitars by hand with hand planes but that was hard and inconsistent. Drum sander is the way to go. You can often find them used on your local online marketplaces like Facebook.

As for bending, my 1st several guitars were done by hand on one of these electric bending pipes. https://ebay.us/m/BAbrFW. It works very well and allows you to set the temp and not have to worry about the hot torch method. I would spritz with water and hold a stainless-steel sheet over the wood. It would bend fast and then I'd check it against my guitar mold and when it didn't spring back very much, I just clamped it in there to dry. Works just fine but of course the Fox style is a lot easier but comes with a cost whether you build one or buy one. I use the one from Blues Creek Guitars have never had any issues with my sides even cutaways are a breeze and done in 15 minutes.

Jread, you mean this one of John's?

https://bluescreekguitars.com/product/s ... g-machine/

Also the heating pipe link looks interesting and a very low cost. Did you need anything besides the pipe itself and some water? Any heat blanket, etc?

I really appreciate the advice I'm getting from folks here!

Tomcat wrote: ↑Sat Aug 02, 2025 1:03 am Jread, you mean this one of John's?

Hey Tomcat: Yes, very similar to the one you linked. I believe he has newer designs give him a call. There's one I think that can do both uke's and guitars. Not quite sure but that's the basic device.

For the electric heating pipe, I have a stainless strap sorta like these from Stewmac:. Not sure where I got mine.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... c28f676516. The idea is that you get the side wet, then place this over the wood and press the wood against the pipe. The steel will hold the steam in and help you soften those fibers or whatever goes on inside wood that allows it to bend without breaking.

John has straps that match his blanket sizes. As I said that bender and his blankets are far superior to heating pipe but hand bending wasn't all that bad really. You just keep going until it settles into the mold without push-back. It's not a one and done thing, you can keep working it until it fits. I've not broken cracked a side yet, it's really not that difficult. The hard part is getting the wood to the proper thickness before you start. I bend at .07" - .08" My drum sander is old and finicky and sometimes I can only get to within so much accuracy then I just go by feel.

Tomcat wrote: ↑Fri Aug 01, 2025 12:55 pm I understand that different woods can require different techniques, but what are some good woods for a beginner to learn on? And what are really tough ones I should avoid until I have more experience?

I learned on birch, which is easy to bend but probably isn't good tonewood.

Of the tonewoods I've used, walnut seems to be the most docile, followed by mahogany and Indian rosewood (although with the latter, bending on the iron seems to leave a bit of gunk on the bender that has to be removed).

Thanks, JLT. I can probably find birch easily. And I've been thinking about walnut and other less exotic woods just because. Think globally and buy locally and all that.

How is cherry for bending? Other American species? I'm starting to go through John Hall's bending videos, but haven't gotten far enough to get much species-specific advice yet.

(Being in Florida, I read one article that suggested magnolia as an interesting option for backs and sides, but I haven't been able to find it for sale yet, and I don't need enough to want to find a log or downed tree to buy to take to a sawmill. There's a big one in my backyard that I hate but my wife won't let me take it down!)

Walnut bends fine and cherry too. Remember all wood need a couple of years of seasoning/drying (or kiln drying) before bending. Just gets some and try it! What are you waiting for?