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For those interested, here's a short introduction to classical/flamenco guitar side bending. I took these photos during a recent visit to Larry Breslin's workshop in Colorado Springs:






The entire process can be reviewed right here!

Thanks for sharing this Trenton!

Pretty good stuff Trenton. Light bulbs and a blanket. That guys really know how to turn on the heat!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Very Interesting!!

I guess he moves the sides from the bender to that clamping form so as not to wait for them to cool down, and speed up production. I've read that some builders just leave a side in the bender overnite to cool and stabilize. But, of course, that means 2 days to bend a set.

I wonder if the laminating process couldn't be done on a bender rig, instead of a separate form. Maybe sandwiched between some SS slats. Would there be enough even clamping pressure to bond? And how about with some heat?
Just thinking 'out loud'.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

This was a fast photo shoot, less than 20 minutes. I asked Larry to go through the steps, but he had to speed-up the process because my visit was brief. Normally, the sides are warmed very slowly and lightly sprayed frequently, with the heat is gradually increased prior to shaping; thereafter, it's allowed to cool overnight and the whole thing is repeated before the sides are glued together...