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#1
11-10-2020, 01:17 PM
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Help with bindings
I am struggling with bending wenge bindings. I have already closed the box on my second guitar and have a wenge back strip in the guitar, so I would like to stay with the wenge for the bindings.
I have broken more then 10 bindings so far. I have tried bending by hand on a pipe bender and also with a heat blanket on a side bending form. I have tried lightly misting with water, a heavy application with water and pre treating with veneer softener. I also tried to resaw the wood to decrease the amount runout of my stock after my initial attempts. The bindings have been thicknessed to 0.080" I am starting to bend on the form when the temperature reaches 250F and try to keep the temperature below 300-325F. I would appreciate any advice or experience with bending wenge the AGF community could give me. Thanks! 
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#2
11-10-2020, 01:22 PM
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#3
11-10-2020, 06:13 PM
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Maybe this will help
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#4
11-10-2020, 07:58 PM
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Bindings no thicker than .080".
Zero runout, or close to it. Backup the outside of the curve with sheet metal to keep splinters from lifting. Start bending at 300-325ºF. No need to go hotter than 325, but 250 is way too low. [edit] I have bent wenge at .080 without problems. But thinner is easier, of course.]
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"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest." --Paul Simon Last edited by Howard Klepper; 11-11-2020 at 01:31 PM.
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#5
11-10-2020, 08:12 PM
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Thin them to 0.065". 0.080" thick is almost twice as stiff.
Soak the wood for at least an hour.
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#7
11-11-2020, 09:04 AM
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Thinning to .065 would definitely help and, maybe you're already doing this, bending them all together at once can make things a whole lot easier. I lay them flat on my bench pressed up against each other, tape the ends together, tape ~3" on either side of the waist, and maybe one more section of tape in the middle of the lower bout. If there's a weak-spot in any of the strips the surrounding strips will hopefully support it enough that it won't snap.
Good luck!
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#8
11-11-2020, 07:35 PM
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The importance of minimizing runout cannot be overrated. While .08" is thicker than I use (.07"), it should be bendable if the wood fiber is aligned close to perfectly.
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#9
11-14-2020, 08:29 AM
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I've bent a few sets of Wenge at .080" without any issue at 350-360 degrees. No soaking, no water or anything.. Bent very well for me given its tendency to splinter. I guess also depends on how it's cut too..
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#10
12-15-2020, 08:02 PM
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Just a quick update. I was successful getting the wenge binding on the guitar. Thank you to all who lent their advice. Thinning to .065”, taping the four pieces together and bending on a hot pipe with a light mist of water, supported by a metal backing strip worked. I also placed some tape to support the fibers under tension. This is a great community! Thanks again.
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#11
12-15-2020, 10:37 PM
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I bend sides in a form but I bend my bindings in a steam box.
One end of my steam box has a small 1cm wide hole in it and I feed my binding into the box through the hole and leave a little outside, I feed the steam in for approx 5 minutes and then pull the strip out and quickly wrap the body in it and allow it to dry in place with some tape. Works a charm, never had binding crack or split on me, I can bind the lower horn on a tele guitar easily with no breakage and that is a super tight bend Steve
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#12
12-16-2020, 01:20 PM
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Quote:
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