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Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:15 pm
by jbjewitt
Have John's Bender. Have had good luck bending maple - should I use the same procedure for curly cherry?

About 325 - very little water.

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:51 pm
by MaineGeezer
I've bent a few cherry sides, and it has always bent pretty well. I don't think it's considered a difficult wood to bend. If it is extremely curly, that might add an unknown amount of difficulty. My guess, however, is that you'll do fine. Lacking better information, 325 with a bit of water sounds to me like a reasonable thing to try.
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Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 6:06 pm
by tippie53
Maingeezer is correct

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:50 pm
by phavriluk
Just had an experience bending curly cherry. I found the wood I had very cooperative. Operator error scorched one side, I had placed the thermocouple between the wood and the lower slat, and caused excess heat in the blanket. Oops. But the wood itself, mine was very cooperative at .080".

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 10:26 am
by acousticguy
For extremely curly woods I have been spraying both sides with Super Soft veneer softener, wrapping in foil (taking care to keep the foil smooth) and bending with a heat blanket. No cracked curly sides yet with the super soft.

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 11:01 pm
by Diane Kauffmds
I use plain water, lightly sprayed, on both sides. I've never had a problem.

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 11:40 pm
by phavriluk
Yesterday I bent a pair of curly cherry sides .080 thick, quite successfully at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. I bent the waist on a pipe, the rest in the bender.

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2019 6:40 am
by tippie53
I use windex instead of water for most all wood anymore

Some woods if you have spring back you can heat to 375F then drop to the dry heat cycle of 220 275 F

I do lower bout upper bout then waist the pulling down of the waist helps to lessen the spring back as you
get a tighter press that way but as we all know , it all works in the end get wood hot it bends. the mold will set
the final shape and the bender helps keep coffee warm in a pinch

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2019 4:50 pm
by acousticguy
Windex, interesting!

Re: Bending Curly Cherry

Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2019 7:20 pm
by phavriluk
Windex with ammonia - - - not all window cleaners do.