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Bending Purfling
http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=15309
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Author:  Zach Ehley [ Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:09 pm ]
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I used LMI double length black white black purfling for the first few
rosettes and had no issues. It comes wrapped in a loop so there was no
bending required. I'm trying to use their bold black maple black purfling
that come in 32" strips, straight. They break if you try to bend them into
a rosette. I dont have a bending iron so I tried to heat them up with my
iron for my shirts. It softened up and bent, but delaminated.

I have a little bundle that I started dry bending. Its been a week and its
about half way there. I tryed doing a couple 16" BMBM strips at the same
time, but broke em. Any tricks for doing this a faster without
delaminating the strips?

Author:  Rick Turner [ Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:06 pm ]
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Get a bending iron or make one.   Or try bending around a lightbulb...carefully...

Author:  Rick Turner [ Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:07 pm ]
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And if you use a lighbulb, get one of those heavy duty hard service types...they've got thicker glass.   Or try a heat gun.

Author:  SniderMike [ Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:41 pm ]
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I've used a heat gun in a pinch more than once. Clamp the handle in a
vice, let it get hot, and just use the metal protuberance.

Author:  Bill Greene [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:08 am ]
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You get an award for the best use of the word "protuberance" in relation to luthiery for January, 2008. Outstanding!

Bill, is that a protuberance in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me...

Author:  Blanchard [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:47 am ]
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The warm air from a common blow dryer will soften purfling enough to bend it without delaminating.

Mark


Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:52 am ]
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I use them pretty regularly. I don't bend them on a pipe I running the purfling back and forth between two fingers. This will cause them to start forming a radius. The longer you do this the tighter the radius gets. YOu don't have to get them to exact size. Once they are withing an inch or so of the correct radius you have enough play they will go without breaking.

Of cource on a pipe works as well and may be a bit quicker but it is not hard

Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:54 am ]
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I use them pretty regularly. I don't bend them on a pipe I running the purfling back and forth between two fingers. This will cause them to start forming a radius. The longer you do this the tighter the radius gets. You don't have to get them to exact size. Once they are within an inch or so of the correct radius you have enough play they will go without breaking.

Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:56 am ]
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I bend stuff like herringbone using a tray of hot water.(less than ten minutes)

AS soon as it becomes Limp, or wet noodle-like, I tape it to a plywood backer around a shape identical to the mold.

I then let them dry for a day with a fan on them before use. They look just like the ones I got from Martin on my kit guitar #1.

It's nice having perfectly formed purfling, especially the wider stuff. Works fer me. I forget who showed me this?

Author:  Dave Anderson [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:14 am ]
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Check out Stew-Macs bending iron,It works well

bender

Author:  SniderMike [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:52 am ]
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[QUOTE=Bill Greene] You get an award for the best use of the word
"protuberance" in relation to luthiery for January, 2008. Outstanding!


Bill, is that a protuberance in your pocket, or are you just glad to see
me...[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Bill. I'm already planning to take February as well.

I think I first heard the word used by Frank Zappa. "Mammalian
potuberances!"

Author:  Howard Klepper [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:56 am ]
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If you are building guitars, a bending iron is a basic tool. Making a guitar is hard enough. If you need a kluge for basic procedures, you will keep having problems or taking a week to bend a piece of purfling half way. If you can't afford to buy an iron, a usable one can be made from a piece of pipe and a cheap propane torch.

Author:  Zach Ehley [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:14 am ]
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I use blankets to do sides and side purflings.  I didnt want to drop $170 for a iron only to bend rosette purflings.  I'd rather but another nice B+S set or another plane or whatever.  I'll dig out a heat gun and try that, or the pipe meathod, or the hot water method.  I dont have a hair dryer.  Im a single male.

Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:19 am ]
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For  $5.95 at the local pharmacy, you could be the lucky owner of a fine hair dryer.  A curling iron might also be a good thing to use, come to think of it.  Pipe's a little small, but it's just the heat you need.

Author:  Alexandru Marian [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:31 am ]
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He doesn't sound like he has a curling iron , but for the record, that is what I use to bend all my stuff. It is an antique probably 30y old, only 15W, very sturdy, very slow too but does the job (with lots of patience) until I can afford a real bender.  

Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:49 am ]
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He could have long hair!  

Author:  Heath Blair [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:03 pm ]
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lets see... light bulb, hair dryer, and a curling iron. i just learned three great new ways to bend purfling! thanks guys Big smile.

Author:  Alexandru Marian [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:17 pm ]
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one more: a magnifier lens and the Sun ??

Author:  Rick Turner [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:34 pm ]
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A Zippo lighter...

Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:21 pm ]
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Right, particularly one that has been leaking a little.  They get hot real fast!  Memories of a different time! 

Author:  FishtownMike [ Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:56 pm ]
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Computer laptops battery.

Author:  Brock Poling [ Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:45 am ]
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[QUOTE=Rick Turner] A Zippo lighter...[/QUOTE]

Don't use that on the celluoid bindings.   

POOF!


Author:  DP LaPlante [ Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:48 am ]
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For shorter lengths (i.e. rosettes) wind them up in a wet paper towel and put them in the microwave for about 3 minutes.

Author:  Michael Lloyd [ Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:38 am ]
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One of these with a 100-Watt bulb will do the trick with the added value of being able to find the pieces when you drop them. Cage removal maybe required.


Author:  Zach Ehley [ Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:29 am ]
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Just as a follow-up, I tryed the boil em like a noodle method and it
worked like a charm. I found that a perfect way to form them is to use a
Tuperware lid. Push the purfling down into the crack that the bowl pops
into and put it in front of the fan.

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