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I am having problems with a devilish set of Indian RW. Yes I know Indian is the easiest to bend, it is like butter or plastic, sure, but this darn set is perfectly quartered. Along the grain it does not break, tough like a steel slat, BUT it is split happy. It did it before I started to bend and that forced me to trim a good deal.

After the waist and UB worked pretty well, I reached the final bend before the endblock....maybe, just maybe I used a little extra water and OFC it cupped and snapped. I tried to cook it and iron it flat and clamp it and wet the dish side but it won't fix.

The cupping starts right after the widest-part-of-the-lowerbout bend and its nothing to worry about for most of it's lenght (would go away with moderate sanding) but it is severe for the last couple inches, and it also cracked a little. The crack isn't past the endblock yet but i expect it to go further by just telling it to do so

So my question is, should I just glue it flat against the endblock. It does not resist flattening at all. I can also add a side brace a couple inches further away from the endblock just to make sure.

Or I could just cut the cupped end and put the set aside for a later smaller build (who knows when, this is already quite a small guitar)

I do have a second set in my tiny stash, but it is the very purple kind, and the back the very brown kind. This sides set was purplish too but less so. They matched decently.

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Build log

I would just glue it flat against the block, and flood the crack with CA from the outside. I can't see a reason not to use it.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

What drwhite said.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
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Yes -glue it to the end block!
This will take care of the cupping!
This happens allot !
When you thin wood and subject it to water or heat it goes crazy!!!
Would'nt you?
sand to fill the crack a bit-add C.A. -sand to fill with dust-let sit then level sand!
All will be fine!
Mike

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Mike Collins

Thanks!

I thought I should ask first, better safe than sorry. This is my first commission build

It wouldn't have happened on the usable part if i had enough extra wood at the ends, but unfortunately I had to trim it to near final length because of another split.

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Build log