Before you can install binding on a ukulele you must bend it just as you did the sides. Bending binding can be just as frustrating as bending sides as they are very delicate and prone to break. Bitter experience has taught me a few lessons.
No. 1; The binding you buy is apt to be made for guitars and you will be cutting off about 14 inches of it. Don't throw those too short pieces away. Use them to experiment in the bending process. Each kind of wood reacts differently. Some want to be soaked in water, some lightly spritzed, some bend better dry. Experiment with those cut off ends until you have discovered what your binding likes.
No. 2; I have found it easier and better to simply bend binding on the heat blanket, without wrapping it in paper, or tin foil or using steel bending plates.
No. 3: Once the waist is bent, make the bends with your bare fingertips. You have much better feel for the willingness of the wood to bend. Switch to wooden blocks just at the end of the bend when your fingers get too close to the heat blanket.
No.4; Koa, Blackwood and Rosewood want to be very wet, and spritz them on the heat blanket when you see them drying. Keep them wet and they will bend like noodles.
 I did a couple of test bends with these short pieces until I learned how much water this Australian Blackwood wanted. Cracked a couple  I let it sit in the bender as the blanket heated up to 250. then I bent the waist. Once the waist was snug I began bending both bouts with my finger tips, the wood will tell you when it is willing to bend. |  . and soon learned it wanted to be very wet. First I spritzed it but later ran it under hot water from the tap and then spritzed it on the bender  I began to do two at a time. You need the wooden block at the last as that heat blanket has risen to 350 degrees. At that point the bend is complete and I turn it off holding the bend in place until the blanket has cooled down to 250. |
Here they are, everything bent, purfling flying all over- Tomorrow I can install binders.
