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Is there anyone who does this?

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D..

Dennis
Using a fox bender, The side gets a quick spray of water, or I take a damp/wet wash cloth and wipe the front and back, then I load the side into the machine, between two slats of steel, and a heat blanket.
I kick on the blanket and let it set and heat until I hear the water sizzling, then I start the bend. At this point, it takes me about one minute to complete.

So I guess my answer is yes, I warm the sides before bending

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I haven't heard anyone doing it. The bend actually takes so much heat, that they'd be too hot to handle without gloves.

Secondly, heating them would remove any moisture they retain naturally fairly quickly. So you gotta soak or spritz water on it which would cool it off.

Thirdly, most folk wrap in foil or paper, mainly to keep resins from transferring to blankets or metal slats or forms. Hot sides would mean that would all be performed gloves on. Might be harder.

Fourthly, the sides must be placed very accurately in the forms, the waist mark is very important to place correctly. I handle everything cold and wet with my gloves off. You gotta keep any moisture off the gloves, otherwise when you do get up past 212Degrees F you're gonna get a steam burn from wet or damp gloves.

Fifthly, my coffee is cold.....

If you are just starting there is a section on my website
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
   Look in the article section on how to use the bending machine. That should help
John

Dennis,

I recommend the John Mayes dvd series. You will learn a ton, and get lots of questions answered. PM good ol' John right here at the OLF and he can help you get them. I have now successfully bent 2 sets of sides doing it step by step just as John shows.

Jeff

He helped me probe my way through the darkness... with a digital thermometer. It's true.

I have to credit John Mayes with ending my ongoing problems fracturing highly figured maple when bending.
His prescribed temperature of 240F is spot on. I've found the "window of opportunity" quite limited when it comes to catching it at this optimum temperature. I recommend not wasting time making the bend, even on a sharp cutaway (1" caul radius)   This is where the pivoting caul for bending the cutaway works well.
Anyone in the market for a whole bunch of broken sides?
Nelson

That's fantastic. I too followed John's bending temp for the maple, otherwise it get's scorched too. I love maple.

Nelson/Bruce,

So do you start the bend at 240 and keep it there with maple? Or start at 240 and let it move on up to set the bend?

Jeff

Hey Bruce, you smoking crack again? :^)
I prewarm every side I bend. Basically I preheat the blanket and steel, then put the side in position. I hold it all tight with spring clamps for about 10 minutes (it's flat in the bender at this point) Once warmed, it start the bend. Since doing this I haven't broken a single side. Before doing this it seamed like I was breaking every other side. Works for me. (But then so did hooked on phonics).
Paul

No, but I might try it if you'd show me how...

Jeff--I let the temp go on up to 290 after bending and then hold it there for about 8 minutes or so. I've been wrapping the sides in aluminum foil which eliminates any staining and seems to "hold the steam" during the bend. I use the full 12" width of the foil so it ends up wrapped fairly tight. Water from spritzing will drip out the ends during the process.
Nelson