Official Luthiers Forum!

I have pulled of 1" radii at 180 degrees before with curly Walnut but went through 12 pieces doing so on a fox bender and a mold and finally ended up on a hot pipe. If you are wanting to stay at near .09" for the thickness of wood binding 1 1/4' radii I do all the time but use Supersoft II in advance with any figured wood. I seriously doubt you can pull of the one design with the half radii edges. just guessing they look to be about 3/8" radii and that aint goingg to happen with .09" thick wood.

Keep the wood thin and let it soak in a big dish of SS for as long as you can. Heck, maybe even boil it. Another option is to cut the cutaway part out of a solid piece of wood if you can blend it in with the rest (no bending!)

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

You can also slice it very thin, dampen it, bend several layers around a temporary form, then they are ready to go on the final guitar. Well done, it's an invisible laminate.

Had to do my Selmer cutaway this way.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I have had no trouble bending rosewoods around a 1/2" pipe for my headstock binding. They are somewhat thin, at .06 but they bend fine. There are some woods I would be hesitant to try that tight bend with though.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

LP horn... curly maple.

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

JJ wins.

I haven't attempted anything as tight as the design on the left, but I'm sure it can be done. I would NOT want to try it with bloodwood though.

JJ, what did you use to bend the binding for the LP horn? I've heated up a screwdriver shaft with a heat gun in the past, with decent results, but I always feel like there's a better way.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Wasn't for a cutaway, but I bent ebony 360° for a 1" dia soundport on a small pipe with Supersoft. Next time I'll take Doug's suggestion and laminate.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com