Day 20: Bending the Sides

Once I got the side pieces planed and scraped into submission, I could go ahead and start bending them. First, a note about my custom bending tool: I built the tool using $12 of galvanized pipe from Home Depot and a $20 heat gun from Harbor Freight. The result is an affordable workhorse that goes up to 1160 degrees Fahrenheit (about 300 on the pipe) and gets the job done.

While the bending tool was heating up, I drilled a piece of MDF and cut some dowel to create a bending form for the sides. To accomplish this, I taped the traced plan to the MDF and used a Forstner bit to tap in starter holes, which I enlarged with an awl. I then drilled the holes the depth of the Forstner bit (about 1/2"), shot a little Garrett Wade glue into each, and hammered the pegs home, using a square to make sure they were straight.

The result was a form that worked pretty well. The point of a form is to hold the bent wood in place while it cools and dries. I chose to leave the sides in overnight. First, I worked on the belly.

I then completed it with the top/shoulder.

You will notice some overlap. This is due to the lengths of the wood I'm using (originally intended for guitar sides). I've not yet come up with a final design, so I decided to let the bending process help me visualize what that might end up looking like. At this point, it looks like the pieces will blend into each other nicely - I hope. The next step will be to release the pieces and bend the other side. Then, I will work on the blending and cutting to size for tacking onto the body.

Until next time...