Binder and Purfling bending for classical guitars and ukes

by Bill Dillon » Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:35 am
I need some help, hints, advice. I'm new at lutherie and after building one perfectly satisfactory classical guitar at a lutherie school in Vermont last year, am now working on two ukulele's and one classical guitar. I've reached the point where I have cut/routed the channels for the purflings and bindings and am now attempting to bend them to the correct shape. I'm using an LMI teardrop electric bending iron (which worked fine on bending the sides) and having a bad time with the bindings breaking as I try to bend them. The bindings are rosewood 0.080. I've tried bending them dry and wetting them. Once or twice I've been able to "feel" them let go a bit and bend. but then the break before I get them bent enough to fit the uke waist. Any suggestions any of you might have will be most appreciated. Thanks, Bill