Bending Black Limba

[Redbloke1956]

Hi to all,
The two main factors I work with when choosing Sides and Backs for my guitars (they are all gifts for friends and family) are cost and aesthetics, I recently puchased some amazing looking Black Limba but cannot get the sides to bend without splitting.
I have tried both hand and machine bending.
I spritz the sides thoroughly beforehand.
I thin sides to 2.2 mm thickness.
Has anyone, with Black Limba experience, got any tips or tricks that may help please.

[lamanoditrento]

2.2mm is a bit thick in my book. I start everything at 2mm and then will thin out troublesome areas or high figure wood further. 1.8mm for a Venetian cutaway or even waist areas if the wood looks a bit antagonistic.

[kiwigeo]

2.2mm is a bit thick. My sides are a maximum of 2mm...thinner where I'm bending around a tight radius. Parts of the side that need to be thinned to facilitate bending can be reinforced if necessary with internal patches once the side is bent up.

[nkforster]

Hi to all,
The two main factors I work with when choosing Sides and Backs for my guitars (they are all gifts for friends and family) are cost and aesthetics, I recently puchased some amazing looking Black Limba but cannot get the sides to bend without splitting.
I have tried both hand and machine bending.
I spritz the sides thoroughly beforehand.
I thin sides to 2.2 mm thickness.
Has anyone, with Black Limba experience, got any tips or tricks that may help please.

Splitting along the grain or snapping across the grain?

[Steve.Toscano]

I've bent quite a bit of black limba as i went through a phase useing it several years back.
Dont remember having any real difficulties with it breaking out or splitting. Although I do remember that it doesnt like to hold its shape very well post bending.

I typically leave my sides thicker too - around 2.2 - 2.4, and in most cases soak for at least 15mins.
All hand bent.

Like others have mentioned though, try taking it down to say 1.9mm.
You might just have a piece with a lot of grain run out, in this case you might have to ditch it.

If bending by hand try a slat of spring steel behind the bend to avoid it splitting out.

[Redbloke1956]

Thanks for all the replies,
To nkforster the splitting is at the waist and is across the grain, on my second attempt I soaked the timber for probably 10 minutes, while machine bending there was no audible crack so my hopes were up …initially.
Tomorrow I will attempt a bend at 1.9mm and see how it goes.
Thanks again to all for the input

Kev

[kiwigeo]

Thanks for all the replies,
To nkforster the splitting is at the waist and is across the grain, on my second attempt I soaked the timber for probably 10 minutes, while machine bending there was no audible crack so my hopes were up …initially.
Tomorrow I will attempt a bend at 1.9mm and see how it goes.
Thanks again to all for the input

Kev

A few questions:
- how are you bending the wood? By hand on an iron or on a form with a silicon blanket?
- how hot is your iron/blanket?
- are you supporting the wood on the outside of the bend with a slat or similar?
- is the wood quarter sawn or off the quarter?

[Redbloke1956]

Hi Martin,
I have tried hand bending with a bending iron, I have tried bending on a bending machine/former with a steel slat on each side of the timber and silicone heater.
The heater was at 165 degrees C

[nkforster]

So they are snapping. Common enough.

This applies to any woods that are hard to bend -

Soak in hot water, mix in half a cup of any white fabric softener, weight the sides down and leave for 20 mins. Then bend.