Official Luthiers Forum!

I just received some very fine rope/Marquetry purflings.
How do you bend them?
Should I just use my John Hall/Fox style bender??
TIA

_________________
Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Andy, I've successfully submerged them in hot water just long enough to become pliable. Three or four minutes.

I previously trace the guitar outline on a piece of 3/4 inch plywood.

Pop the limber purfling out and semi-dry it off. Tape the purfling onto the flat plywood board following the outline and let them dry overnight. They conform perfectly to the outline once untaped.

Works great.

Others bend them in dry, I like 'em preshaped so I don't have to arm-wrestle them into place. Works for me, Bruce

_________________
http://www.dickeyguitars.com

You can use the bender, tape the purfs together & bend as one unit. I usually just bend one at a time over the hot pipe as I'm installing them. I've also used a heat gun bending the strips on the instrument as it was installed (these were simpler shapes teardrop bouzouki, Appalachin dulcimer)

GD