TODAY I WAS IN THE MOOD TO BEND. always a little bit of a stress, you got to be in the mood. Today I had a new tool, a surface thermometer just received from Stew-Mac. When I ordered it I thought it a little pricey, after using it I wonder why I did not buy it many builds ago.
This picture shows the whole thing. The form for the pinecone clamped into my Parrot vice, the heat pad draped over it, the new thermometer just sitting on top and registering the heat very accurately, on the work table behind you can see the control device that regulates the electricity flowing into the heat blanket. and behind it on the table, two of the Pinecone sides bent with the big bottom bend. When they were bent I turned the form over so the sharper bend of the top would be upper-most, and then spritzed the tops again with water and bent the upper bends.
Here is the thermometer close up. Just a simple coil spring that expands with heat in a precise way and moves the dial now at 200. with this guy just sitting on the blanket I was able to watch it go up to 350 degrees, then reduce the power with the control device and easily keep the temp between 300 and 350. The wood bent beautifully as I turned the control device between full power and less power. I could watch the temp go up and down as I worked the control. For the first time, I really felt like I was in control of this bending process.
Here is the control device. costs about $25.00 at Grizzley. worth every penny
Once the sides were bent I stuck them in the neck slots just to keep their shape while they dried. The ends still need to be trimmed for length so they will fit perfectly.
I will do that with one uke and glue it up.
I will do that with one uke and glue it up.
And here it is , trimmed, placed and glued. Sure makes it easy when you can get a good bend, and that thermometer really helped with the bending.
