Official Luthiers Forum!

any tips on bending torrified binding?

_________________
"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

I had tried to bend some mandolin sides from torrefied maple. I was able to get the larger diameter bends but the for the tighter bends it was too brittle and, after numerous attempts using various methods, I gave up. The client agreed to switch to regular figured maple which bent easy. I used a pipe and a backing block to help avoid cracking.

Not sure if other species will be as difficult. Binding for a dred or something with larger diameter bends might be doable.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Why would you use torrified binding? I thought torrification is only of use on soundboards. Don't see any benefits to using torrified binding!

When learning to bend wood I found that if I worked too long the wood took a set and would not bend or at least strongly resisted bending. I had always assumed that torrefaction would do that to wood. One might try ammonia to get the wood to get the wood bendable. But the ammonia may also work with the elements of the wood that torrefaction cooked out.

_________________
http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Since part of the purpose of torrefying wood is to make it hydrophobic, you can see why it would be hard to bend.

I've seen torrefied wood sets and have avoided them. I think you'd need to bend first, then torrefy.

I'm torrified of the whole situation! But then ammonia is interesting.

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

If you want the look of torrefied maple you can mix up a solution of potassium permanganate and water and "age" the maple bindings to get that look. It is a strong oxidizer. You can get KMnO4 at pool supply places. Keep out of the reach of children and wear gloves as it is poisonous if ingested and will dye your hands purple/brown.

Ooooh! That sounds like a good murder mystery clue that Hercule Poirot or Cormoran Strike would spot.

Looking like a zero percent success rate ...I guess I will have to find something else to use

_________________
"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

I made a OO out of torrefied maple at class with Alan Carruth. It fractured in.. unusual ways. The back sheared right off when a jar of finish bounced off it, at an angle not following any grain lines remotely. Al glued it back right away and it was fine, but that was a warning shot.. One of the sides fractured while bending, and I learned how to superglue paper to both sides for support and finished the bend with cauls. Then when planing the body taper with the grain, carefully (!) it split again just from hand plane pressure, and again not remotely along anything resembling a grain line. Bottom line is it bends like glass, not even kidding. Beautiful guitar though, I couldn't quite get a flat spot or two out of the side where it fractured, but it's real close and can only be felt, not seen, and barely. Sounds awesome, looks awesome, last time I'm going to bend torrefied maple though.

Do you mean sonically beautiful or the way it looks. If someone wants the look of torrified maple, potassium permanganate can take you there.

Definitely both, plus, it has a distinct maple-syrupy smell to it when it's being worked, or you scratch the end grain. Reminds me of breakfast..