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I recently viewed a video demonsration of a Fox type side bender in which the demonstrator showed that the Stainless Steel Slats took the shape of the guitar form and retained it after the bending was complete. He said that one needs to have a separate set of slats for each guitar shape.
Well, I don't think so. My slats are 6061 T6 Aluminum, .025" thick. They return to near flat after each bending cycle, and could certainly be used for another shape (maybe not a cutaway) I paid around $25.00 for a 24 X 48" sheet, including cutting into two 6" wide strips, and a 12" strip - shipping included.

Ray,

Where did you get them for that price?
Thanks,

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

I use SS slats. I've used the same ones on 4 different models. Go figure!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Wicks Aircraft Supply.

http://www.wicksaircraft.com/

I use SS also, 4 dreds so far, but I will use them on an OM soon. They straighten out flat, good as new. I don't know what he's talking about.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]I have used both stainless and spring steel slats and sometimes both at the same time.



With the stainless slats they do keep a small degree of the last bend but it's never been a problem and the same slats have been used for OMs, d****n****ts, SJs, and L-OOs.



All of my slats both stainless and spring steel are from John Hall at Blues Creek and they perform flawlessly.[/QUOTE]

Hesh- Is there a reason 'dred' is all in asterisks?

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

The bending machine video that I referred to is from LMI

Ray

My slats are the ones supplied by LMI about 3 years ago (whatever the material was then), and they come out of the form pretty well bent, but I've never had any trouble flattening them afterwards.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

The original stuff I have used for the last 6 years is stainless spring steel. Charles got it for me but I didn't think to ask where it was from. 6 years of bending and not a hint of a bend anyplace on the sheet. I keep them clamped down tight to the mold when not in use (to prevent putting out my eye on a corner). Also not a touch of rust. They have a bit of resin from the days before I wrapped my sides but that's not a product of the steel, that resin would stick to anything.
I have purchase some spring steel shim stock from mcmaster for when I think I need to replace the slats. (I won't NEED to but the "need" to have something new and shiny is looming)

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] [QUOTE=Chansen]
[QUOTE=Hesh1956]I have used both stainless and spring steel slats and sometimes both at the same time.

With the stainless slats they do keep a small degree of the last bend but it's never been a problem and the same slats have been used for OMs, d****n****ts, SJs, and L-OOs.

All of my slats both stainless and spring steel are from John Hall at Blues Creek and they perform flawlessly.[/QUOTE]Hesh- Is there a reason 'dred' is all in asterisks? [/QUOTE]

Yes - it's a semi-private joke here on the OLF where a dread is not spelled out fully as a signal of the writer (me) not being overly fond of dreads.

The problem is that so many OLFers from time to time have used this designation (d****n****t) or somthing similar in place of "dreadnought" that the joke is no longer semi-private........

No offense intended and I have been known, when no one is looking....., to build and play a d****n****t..... It's not like we are talking about banjos or worse........ [/QUOTE]

Now ya just be'in silly Hesh, everyone knows there aint noth'in worse than a Banjo...Sheesh

(That was my Mario P impression, did you like it??? )


Cheers

Kim

Come back Mario, we miss you dude.

Cheers

Kim

I've been using 0.020" stainless slats and they always spring back to almost straight when I unclamp the side bender. The problem that I don't care for is that when they begin to spring back as the clamp tension is relieved, they also tend to spring back my freshly bent sides.

I recently picked up a set that is 0.012" and have yet to try them through a bending cycle. My guess is that it's a trade-off: spring back vs. staying bent to some degree. I'll know soon...

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Peter

Hesh,

You are not the only one, for osme reason I have always disliked dreads too.

Metal slats took me a long time to find the right material and thickness. If your slats are springing you bent sides straight you are pulling them too soon.
Yes the slats will tend to push your sets when pulling them but once cured in the bender they should hold pretty well. Even if the wood is still warm you are taking them out too soon.
   As for what I use I can tell you that it is a tempered stainless steel and not the 301 alloy lmi uses. The wrong alloy is too soft.
Aluminium can react to some woods and turn wood funny colors. I avoid it. Stainless is the best of the material for not rusting or staining . Spring steel is a higher temper and will remain dead flat but can rust and stain
john hall
blues creek guitars

For my newly made - and as yet unused - sidebender, I got a pair of 0.020" thick, 150mm wide x 900mm long titanium slats. Yes, that's right... Titanium. But it's way too stiff . The lower slat will spring back too much and exert too much pressure on the side.

So I've currently got some 0.015" aircraft grade (don't know exactly which grade though) aluminium. It's nice and light. Only slightly taken on the shape of the bender in dry runs so far. As I plan to wrap my sides in wet paper, I shouldn't get the staining problem from the aluminium.

And I could have had the only ***titanium side bender*** in the world!

It's amazing what you can salvage from offcuts at work!

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If God had wanted us to drink beer, he would have given us stomaches.

    Alum is very soft , fortal which is one of the aircraft alloys is a bit stronger. Titanium is very strong and as you found out nor very practicle. You may be able to use both , set the pattern up with the alum and Ti on the top
john hall
blues creek guitars

[QUOTE=Pwoolson] The original stuff I have used for the last 6 years is stainless spring steel.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't aware that SS spring slats were an option.

Does John Hall have that in stock?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Not all aluminum is soft. While it is true that most aluminum rods, bars, angles etc. that you see in the hardware store are dead soft, heat treated aluminum is a horse of a different color. The 6061 T6 slats that I use are very hard. One might easily mistake them for Stainless Steel, except for their weight.
Soft Aluminum will leave dark marks on anything that it contacts (like a #2 pencil lead)
The heat treated varieties do not mark the wood.
The relatively heavy .025" slats retain the heat more than thin ones, resulting in more even heating across the slat.

Ray

What kind of foil do you use between the craft paper and the slat?

Ray