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For #3 I'm making a mahogany/adi 12 fret 000, from the stewmac plans.

The first side bent well and now sits in the mold. I took the other side out of the bender yesterday to discover I'd made two left hand sides, rather than one of each. They are 0.085" thick. Put your hand up if you've done this before

I soaked the side in warm water for 10 minutes or so, then borrowed my wife's clothes iron. After a few more soakings and ironings it came out almost straight - well straight enough to get back in the bender.

It's now had 3 heat cycles and I'll take it out of the bender when I get home from work in about 12 hours time, maybe throw in one more heat cycle.

So now I'm gonna be spending the next 12 hours wondering if its worked out, or if I need another set of sides.

Anyone else done this? Did it work? Any problems I should be aware of?

Hey Paul, I've never done this because I'm to chicken to pre-shape my sides before bending

But I do remember our good bud Serge doing this. He did what you did and straighten out the side and re-bent it in the bender. Worked out fine.

I don't think you'll need to do a 4th heat cycle though.

Keep us posted.

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fortunately, when first i investigated using a bender, i found a comment that baically told me that if i didn't make my sides clearly i would screw one up sooner or later. this may have been in the lmi print cataloge of about ten years or so ago now (which was a remarkable instruction book on tool use and how to build a guitar), or in their video on using the bender. knowing that if anyone could do a silly thing like this i would, i took this too heart and thus have avoided the pitfall.

Funny thing is, I did have both sides clearly marked, but I also had a visitor in the shop while I was doing the second side. So I'm gonna blame them .

Actually that would be unfair. I had just enough time to bend the side and let it bake while I mowed the lawn before the afternoon thunderstorm arrived. Too many things to do, and a short attention span, does not help when building guitars, or so it seems to me

I "might" have done this at some stage.....I "might" have even done it twice on the same guitar

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael] this may have been in the lmi print cataloge of about ten years or so ago now (which was a remarkable instruction book on tool use and how to build a guitar), [/QUOTE]

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the LMI printed catalogue.....its a great source of info on luhtiery and I often find myself flicking through it when I have a problem that needs solving.

Worked out perfectly.

Matching sides bend, in the mould, ready for blocks and linings.

What a nice place to be

Been there done that. Just to had to the fun I know you can unbend them at least twice. Please don't ask how I know that
john hall