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OK, I'm tempted to rig a real bending iron rather than keep using my wallpaper strippr as I'm thinking of investing in some good zoot rather than all the free stuff I've scrounged from dumpsters.

BUT

I want to carry on the same idea that has me building guitars rather than buying ready made. I want to say I did it and save a few pennies in the process.......

An electric Iron shipped from the US will be in the $400 ballpark.

I'm thinking laterally again.

If I get a clothes Iron......



this ones $20

and canabalize it........

will it be hot enough?

I get all confuddles with the farenheight/21st century celcius stuff, so I'm guessing, we're looking at slightly higher than boiling point of water temp right?

so an iron element and thermostat SHOULD work in a pipe, right?

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Hey Martin, don't forget you can use a propane torch and piece of aluminum tube. Simple and it works.

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Jim Watts
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no the clothes iron will not get hot enough most have a max tenp of about 210-250 f

much higher than water boiling temp. you want to bend at typically 285-320 F depending on wood and thickness. plus a flat heating serface will not work at lest not well.

You can build and a fox style bender for under $50us and buy a heating blanket,controler and slats for under $200us If you look I am sure you cand find a supplier of the blanket, controler and slats in Ireland so you did not have international shipping costs. I can't see a good reason to Jerry rig a half good contrapsion. Investigate and I believe you will find the materials needed to do it right in country

For my bending Iron to took a piece of 2 3/4" metal pipe with an end welded on (it was actually a container for holding road flares) and bolted an L bracket to it. I squished the open end down to give a 1" radius so that I have different radii along the pipe. Orriginally for heat I used a torch but then one day I tried my heat gun. Works great and much safer. Temperatures are between 138C to 160C. I find temp not as critical with the bending pipe as you can control the contact time better than in the Fox Bender. At the same time I mainly use my Fox Bender and just use the pipe for touch ups and cutaways. Here is a pic of my setup.

and another.

You might notice that the plastic on the heat gun melted a bit when I first used it. Make sure only the metal ouches the pipe.arvey39020.6425925926

[QUOTE=arvey] Make sure only the metal ouches the pipe.[/QUOTE]
deliberate typo?

Thanks guys, it was just a thought!!

Next area of study is the pipe. As I do all my building in the school workshop, safety is paramount, more than a home shop would be.

the heat gun in a pipe looks good (and safer than rigging the oxyacetylene.......)

Thanks again....

I'll just drift off and try to think up more ways to irritate RickTurner over on the Acoustic guitar mag forum!!

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[QUOTE=martinedwards]

I'll just drift off and try to think up more ways to irritate RickTurner over on the Acoustic guitar mag forum!![/QUOTE]

Martin...no, no NO!!!



Sam Price39020.7181828704

Martin
Like most here I use the fox style bender for guitars.

But here's 3 cheapos I have made over the years.

Left to right.
Heating coil from a crockpot wrapped around brass rod
stuck inside a chrome plated brass tube. (sink drain)

Charcoal lighter bent to fit inside a steel pipe.

coiled copper sheet (riveted) and heated with 200watt
lightbulb.

I only use the center one now. And don't forget to use a timer switch for safety. Hope this helps.


Tom

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