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I'm building a prototype of a new electric hollow body guitar. Padauk back and sides, Curly maple carved top, Laminated curly maple and purpleheart neck, 2 humbuckers, and a tunematic bridge. Anyway I resawed my padauk and thicknessed the back and sides. Back 0.120" sides 0.075".Since its a prototype I broke out the hand bender,and went to work. I sprayed the wood and started to bend the cutaway on a spare piece that I had prepared. It seemed to be bending well then snap with no warning just broke in half. The bending iron was plenty hot, and the wood was surface damp but not soaked. The wood was long enough that I reversed it, and tried again. Same thing broke with no warning. Anyway what works for padauk? I obviously don't have the right combination.

Thanks   Al

I have a set of Padauk in my stash and we had a thread a couple of weeks ago, you might check in the archive under Padauk, and others shared some harrowing experiences as well. However, others had some solutions as I recall, you might check it out. Sorry to hear about the side.

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Ive got plenty, I resawed an extra for practice because of some prior discussion about it's difficulty in bending. I'll go to the archive.

Thanks Al

I'm back from the archives. Wetter, and use a steel slat behind the bend like I should have been doing in the first place.

Al

Heat! and more heat. let it dry out and get the temp to near scorching. As long as it is wet it may not be able to get hot enough. At least that works for me.

Use the steel on the topside, and place a wet washcloth on the bending iron before you lay the wood on there. You'll get lots of steam, and that's what it'll take.

_________________
Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

I'm headed for the shop. I'll let you all know what works.

Al

I agree with John. I've built two guitars with padauk, both of which I used a hot pipe for bending. My side thicknesses were about the same as yours too. I found that it bends best at relatively high temps -- about 320 deg., and I absolutely soak the wood. I was spritzing it every minute or two. Another thing, even when hot and wet, it still bends slowly. You can't rush padauk, or it'll crack on ya.


Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Sorry to hear about your sides Al, Padauk seems to be one tough cookie, just like purple heart, i tried bending some PH bindings on my bender tonight and it broke without warning, just like it happened to you!

I also had just spritzed the wood, maybe i'll try soaking it up tomorrow and try with the hot pipe like Michael says.

Good luck with the Padauk Al!

Serge

Higher heat is good for some woods, but dont let it get too dry - the outer fibers will case harden and then crack - the moisture needs to be there - if doing the pipe, then use the wet rag it will help alot, but the pipe will loose some of its heat.

last night another of my students and I bent a small piece of ebony to bind the end of his fretboard - 90 thou or so, and the radius was about 2.5 inches (to match the rosette) - actually worked well on standard heat, you could leave the piece on the pipe in one spot and let it soften up, and then it just bent - again, kept it wetted, but no cloth on the pipe.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I use a machine but I to found HEAT is needed for paduk. I use 350-375. The slats also help as they press bend more than stress bend when using an iron.
   You can help the water situation by wetting paper and placing that on the wood between the slat and wood so you have more water but watch out for the steam .
john hall

Thanks for the tip Tony, i will try that!

Serge

Thanks for the help.

Al