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Hey Guys...I am trying some reverse mahogany kerfing. I love the look but find that it breaks very easily....Is there some way to keep it from breaking so easily...Thankful for any help....Larry

Welcome to the world of reverse-kerf linings...

Some folks have been bending them on a bender, others have been using supersoft to get them to bend. Others just give up on them and go to other types of linings.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
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Larry;
I run mine through my Performax 16-32 with 150 grit to thin the backing to make it more flexible.
Some pieces bend easy & some break-the cut of the wood used and the thickness of the backing (where it glues to the side) are very different if your buying the pieces from a dealer.
You can also heat them ;just like a side to make them more flexible.

I hope this helps
Mike

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Mike Collins

Some here (Hesh?) have suggested wetting the web side - but not the glue side. Works for me.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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another possible use for SuperSoftII

In the Archives there is a tip of Lance's to soak it in water for 30 seconds, and pad it dry just before gluing.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I usually wet it down good, and then clamp it in the right position, but on the other side of the rim, so its clamped to the OUTSIDE of the rim, and let it sit there to dry. That way it gets sorta a prebent shape, and the risk of splitting is minimized when clamping with the 'non-glue' side to the rim...

I fill my sink with hot water, then soak them for maybe 1 minute. Then I carefully take them out and blot them with paper towels to get out most of the water that is hanging between the kerfs. After that, I glue them in with out to much trouble.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance,

I've been concerned about gluing onto wet wood. Apparently you've had no issues?

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

For purposes of full disclosure, here is Lance's post from that other thread on (Horrors!) "Kerfing breakage".  It was in response to a post by Hesh, signed on as Guests, recommending soaking for 30 seconds then padding dry with a paper towel.

LanceK said: "I got that tip years ago from Kathy Wingert, (incredible guitar builder she is!) It works well with the reverse kerf'ed style strips, no need to do it with the traditional style."

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I prebend by hand at room temperature without water.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Not Lance here Pat but I do exactly what Lance does since he taught me this and have not had any issues with gluing the "damp" "kerfed linings" to the sides.  I'll all that I get the water as hot as I can get from the tap first.  Then they are padded dry with paper towels.

Also the mahogany ones will leave the water a rather pink color and if you don't rinse it away as soon as you remove the kerfed linings someone in your home might get upset at the bathtub ring.....

Lastly, if piecing two kerfed linings together try to have the joint on a flat spot or near flat spot on the sides just below the waist on the side of the lower bout.

It works great, have not snapped one yet.

I pre-bend on my fox style bender too.  So far so good!

I have always "wet/ patted dry" reverse kerfed linings for years.  I dont remember who I got it from but I never get cracked or broken kerfed linings.  There is no problem getting glue to adhere to damp wood as most woodworking glues are water soluable as long as it had been patted dry.

Thanks for the tips....would placing a piece of tape along the smooth side before wetting help to keep it in place .....Just a thought.....I think I will try the bender on the next guitar....Maybe do the kerfing and bindings together...

When I was making and using these, I'd make a 50/50 mixture of glycerin and water. I'd brush this onto the web, let it sit around 5-10 minutes, then glue them in. They bent much more easily...

I had no trouble bending the first couple of sets I used by hand during glue-up, and thought they were all that way. I got frustrated with the next batch when it started to crumble, and thought it was the kerfing's problem. Wiser now, I throw them in the Fox bender after the sides come out. Contentedness has returned!

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

[QUOTE=burbank] Lance,

I've been concerned about gluing onto wet wood. Apparently you've had no issues?[/QUOTE]

Pat, none. No issues at all.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

[QUOTE=WaddyT] For purposes of full disclosure, here is Lance's post from that other thread on (Horrors!) "Kerfing breakage".  It was in response to a post by Hesh, signed on as Guests, recommending soaking for 30 seconds then padding dry with a paper towel.LanceK said: "I got that tip years ago from Kathy Wingert, (incredible guitar builder she is!) It works well with the <span ="highlight">reverse</span> <span ="highlight">kerf</span>'ed style strips, no need to do it with the traditional style.<!-- Signature -->"
[/QUOTE]

Thanks Waddy!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com