Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello

I am trying to bend some zebrawood sides. Although I have been able to bend them with a blanket system and fox type bender i end up with a ripple that goes across the short side of the side. As in not with the length. I misted the sides before bending them. Any suggestions by anybody who has sucess with zebrawood

Thanks chris

Hi Chris, welcome to the OLF!

have some zebrawood here that i didn't have the chance to work with yet but i'm sure someone who has experience with it will chime in soon.
Is this your first build Chris?

Have fun!

Serge

Hello Serge

This is my second accoustic. I have also built one electric.

Thanks

I have bent 2 zebra sets and it bends pretty easy normally. Bent at 290 wrapped and lightly misted...

_________________
Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I use Super Soft 2...it's a grain relaxer that you can pick up at joewoodworker.com or Highland Hardware. I've used it on highly figured woods with great success.

Spray it on (lightly)

Let it dry

Wrap in craft paper

Lightly mist with distilled H20

Bend at your favorite temp

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Chis

Welcome to the OLF

How thin did you take your rims/sides down to before you put them on the bender?

Mike

I just completed a baritone guitar with zebrawood sides and back, and had the same issues. I would suspect zebrawood can have a rather pronounced density gradient across the grain which makes it want to form crests and valleys down the sides. Which sucks. I had to throw out my first set of sides for this guitar. I recall resawing another side set thinking just how badly zebrawood stinks when freshly cut.

I bend my sides freehand with just a hot pipe so I can't say for sure, but I would bet dollars to donuts that if you were to bend in a form like the Fox machine and let the sides completely dry out before removing them from the form (like at least a few days) this 'ripple effect' would be minimized.

Has anyone experienced any color change using SuperSoft?

Welcome to the forum Chris.

I bent my first set of Zebrawood a couple of month ago on a fox style bender w/blanket. The first set cracked and THEN I did some research on bending zebrawood . What I found out was it needs to remanin really wet throughout the bending process. As soon as it starts to dry it will not bend anymore.

I was making a soprano uke so my bends were pretty tight compared to a guitar but this is what I did:

1. Get the wood dripping wet then bend the waist.
2. Rewet the upper bout then bend that.
3. Rewet the lower bout then bend that.

If you pay attention you can feel when the zebrawood is getting too dry to bend. If this happens, stop and rewet the area of the wood you're bending again then continue on.

Good luck.

Thanks everybody

I think that tonight i will try to bend again. I need to sand some sides to thickness, 2.2mm. The previous set bent ok longways and did not crack. As per a few suggestions i will try soaking them for awhile and then bend. I am also going to use thicker bending sheets on either side of the wood to hopefully press them together tighter. I this doesn't work i am ordering some of the supersoft to try it. Thanks again for the suggestions from everybody and any others that anybody can think of.

Chris

[QUOTE=bob J] Has anyone experienced any color change using SuperSoft?[/QUOTE]

I have gotten surface discoloration which has always sanded out quite easily. No different than occasional water discoloration.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com