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First time bending Anigre.... first side I bent went fine but there is some grain spliting on the inside of the waist! and the outer upper bout shows very small splitting too!
Now I need to bend the cutaway side.... any tips or ideas?
The side was bent on a Fox Style bender with a heat blanket at about 300F

Thanks

peterm38955.4970486111

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

Peter

Did you use some soaked kraft paper with it ? If not I think it would help as that wood looks like it would loose moisture fast.

Yup.... I did wrap it!

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

Ok thats that theory blown, I've never bent the stuff before, I would suggest a bit hotter but then I'd be worried about scorching such a light wood.

Tell me about it! even at 300F it left some very little scorching marks...

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

Maybe soak the wood for 4/5 minutes first, I think the problem is that it,s one of those woods that the steam/water can't penerate very easily, have you got a piece you can experiment in, I would submerge it in water for 4/5 mins then try at 300F.

Peter, I have to ask, how fast did you make the bend? I have been known to bend a little faster than the wood wants to, resulting in a similar type of fracture. Jus a thought.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Dave, with any highly figured wood I always bend slowly. Take the time and take the waist is 3-4 steps... But this is my first experience with anigre... don't know what went wrong!

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

Sorry Peter, it was the only other thing I could think of. I haven't bent any Anigre so I wouldn't have a clue as to what else to do.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

[QUOTE=Dave Rector] Sorry Peter, it was the only other thing I could think of. I haven't bent any Anigre so I wouldn't have a clue as to what else to do.[/QUOTE]

you and me, both...

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

That sure is pretty wood. It a shame it is being so difficult!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Wonder if I can seal the splits with CA and still salvage the side?

The CA will hopefully not show under the finish, but would be visible on the inside...

What do you guys think?

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

[QUOTE=peterm] Wonder if I can seal the splits with CA and still salvage the side?

The CA will hopefully not show under the finish, but would be visible on the inside...

What do you guys think?[/QUOTE]
I'm not the expert, but it looks salvagable to me, 'cause the splits are so clean and even. Try some CA on a small section, pinch it shut, wait 'til it cures and wipe some shellac or solvent over it to see how it'll look under finish.

Hate to say it, Peter, but it looks like you're the point man on this! I've got some curly anigre veneer, and it's really beautiful wood. I've been wondering myself if it could be a viable substitute for curly maple, because I think the grain underlying the curl is prettier than maple.

Peter, what do you mean when you say you bend in 3-4 steps? Sorry if I'm not up on all the fancy Fox-bender lingo.   

When I bend waists on my Fox bender, I go 1/4 turn, wait five seconds, turn another 1/4 turn, wait another five seconds, and so on. It goes slow, but this very gradual bending process works better for me than anything else I have tried. I have bent Padauk, crotch mahogany, and other challenging woods without any problem at the waist. Before I tried this routine, I used to get a lot of cracking and grain lifting on more difficult woods.

Peter,
One more thought. Do you use side braces? If so, maybe locate one (or two) at the crack. The additional support is nice, plus your repair will not be visible through the brace.

[QUOTE=Kelby] Peter, what do you mean when you say you bend in 3-4 steps? [/QUOTE]

I bend the waist 1/4 of the way down and then the last part gets bent in sections...same way you do it... turn 1/4- 3/4 turn wait...and so on...

peterm38955.6948958333

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

Side braces were my plan...but there is too much area to hide...would need 2-3 braces side by side!

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

Peter,

You might want to consider covering the splits with bias tape as Alan Carruth suggests rather than with the side braces. The bias tape when ironed out flat is about 3/4 or an inch wide and might just be the ticket.

Best Regards,

Pete

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Peter

Peter, you should try the CA glue on a piece of scrap before using it on your sides. My experience with CA is that it is the worst choice for making an invisible repair. I would use HHG for this type of repair. It is quite possible that you could salvage the side with a nicely glued repair.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

I have to agree with Dave. CA will show up darker on this light wood. HHG works for me on lighter woods. Not perfect, but better than CA.
How thick were your sides when you bent them?
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

Thanks guys for all the input.... I bet the cutaway side last nigt which proved to be a disaster!

Well, the zootman is sending me another set.... so I will try again.. just need to find a different way to do it with better results.

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

Peter

What thickness are you bending them at ?

Russel, right around .090

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

Peter

If I were you I would take it thinner maybe to 0.80 to 0.85, if you have the scrap you cut off when you profiled the sides do a test on this.

Russel, I guess I'll do that next time!

thankspeterm38956.7221990741

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